NEW YORK (WABC) -- Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn in as mayor of New York City just after midnight Thursday, but politicians and other supporters are gathered later in the day at City Hall for a larger ceremony.
Mamdani is the city's first Muslim mayor, its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, he is also the city's youngest mayor since the late 19th century.
The democratic socialist takes office after an historic campaign made "affordability" a national buzzword across the political spectrum.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders administered the public ceremonial oath of office to Mamdani at today's event, broadcast on Channel 7 and streaming on ABC 7 New York.
As a new mayor's term begins immediately with the new year, it has been customary for the city's incoming leaders to hold two events.
Outgoing mayor Eric Adams held his initial swearing-in at Times Square shortly after the famous ball drop, while Adams' predecessor, Bill de Blasio, took his first oath at home in Brooklyn.
Mamdani's universal free child care proposal - perhaps one of his more expensive plans - is also one that has attracted some of the strongest support from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a moderate from Buffalo who endorsed the mayor-elect.
Hochul is eager to work with Mamdani on the policy and both leaders consider the program a top priority, although it's not yet clear how exactly the plan could come to fruition. The governor, who is up for reelection next year, has repeatedly said she does not want to raise income taxes - something Mamdani supports for wealthy New Yorkers - however she has appeared open to raising corporate taxes.
"I think he has allies and supporters for his agenda, but the question is how far will the governor go," said state Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris, a Mamdani ally.
"There's an acknowledgement that the voters have spoken, and there's very clear policies that were associated with his successful campaign," he said, "so to not make progress on them would be us thumbing our noses at the voters."
Mamdani's pledge to freeze the rent for roughly 1 million rent stabilized apartments in the city would not require state cooperation.
But that proposal - perhaps the best known of his campaign - is already facing headwinds, after the city's departing mayor, Eric Adams, made a series of appointments in recent weeks to a local board that determines annual rent increases for the city's rent stabilized units.
The move could potentially complicate the mayor-elect's ability to follow through on the plan, at least in his first year, although Mamdani has said he remains confident in his ability to enact the freeze.
Mamdani campaigned on a big idea: shifting the power of government toward helping working class New Yorkers, rather than the wealthy.
His platform - which includes free child care, free city bus service and a rent freeze for people living in rent stabilized apartments - excited voters in one of America's most expensive cities and made him a leading face of a Democratic Party searching for bright, new leaders during President Donald Trump's second term.
But Mamdani may find himself contending with the relentless responsibilities of running New York City. That includes making sure the trash is getting picked up, potholes are filled and snow plows go out on time. When there's a subway delay or flooding, or a high-profile crime or a police officer parks in a bicycle lane, it's not unusual for the city's mayor to catch some heat.
"He had a movement candidacy and that immediately raises expectations locally and nationally," said Basil Smikle, a Democratic political strategist and Columbia University professor, who added that it might be good for Mamdani to "Just focus on managing expectations and get a couple of good wins under your belt early on."
"There's a lot to keep you busy here," he said.
A large part of Mamdani's job will also be to sell his politics to the New Yorkers who remain skeptical of him, with Smikle saying "the biggest hurdle" is getting people comfortable with his policies and explaining how what he's pushing could help the city.
"It's difficult to have this all happen on day one," he said, "or even day 30 or even day 100."
Mamdani's transition team formed an inaugural committee that includes actor John Turturro, playwright Cole Escola and writer Colson Whitehead, as well as advocates, small business owners and campaign workers who the incoming mayor's office says have "provided perspective, guidance, and cultural sensibility" for the ceremony.
Other recognizable figures include educator and YouTuber Ms. Rachel and actress and activist Cynthia Nixon.
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