New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) pledged to govern the Big Apple as a Democratic Socialist during his inauguration speech and declared he would revive “the era of big government.”
After taking the official oath of office with his left hand on a Quran at City Hall early Thursday morning, the newly minted 34-year-old mayor took a ceremonial oath of office from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the afternoon.
Mamdani vowed to hold to the radical views he pushed during his campaign against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
“We will transform the culture of City Hall from one of no to one of how. We will answer to all New Yorkers, not to any billionaire or oligarch who thinks they can buy our democracy,” he said. “We will govern without shame and insecurity, making no apology for what we believe.”
“I was elected as a Democratic Socialist, and I will govern as a Democratic Socialist,” he added.