New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration will spotlight two of the most recognizable figures in the Democratic Party’s progressive wing: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
Mamdani will be publicly sworn in during a City Hall ceremony on New Year’s Day, where Ocasio-Cortez—his fellow New Yorker and an early supporter—will formally introduce him, according to Mamdani’s transition team.
“For the many New Yorkers who have long felt betrayed by a broken status quo, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez embodies a new kind of politics that puts working people at the heart of it,” Mamdani said in a statement. “I’ve been so proud to count her as a partner across the many stages of our people-powered movement—from the primary campaign to our Forest Hills rally in October to the very first day of the transition—and I’m honored that she’ll be a part of our historic City Hall inauguration.”
Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Mamdani early in the primary and frequently campaigned alongside him, is expected to deliver opening remarks at the ceremony. The event will be open to 4,000 ticketed guests.
To broaden access to the celebration, Mamdani’s transition team is also organizing a public watch party near Broadway, allowing New Yorkers who can’t attend City Hall to participate.
Sanders will administer the oath of office during the public ceremony. Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, will officially assume office at midnight on New Year’s Day.
While thousands of people ring in the new year in Times Square, Mamdani and his family are expected to be in Lower Manhattan for a private swearing-in at a former, now-closed subway station beneath City Hall Plaza.
