Indian-origin politician Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the mayor of New York City just after midnight on Thursday at the historic, decommissioned City Hall subway station in Manhattan. The oath was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

A Democrat, Mamdani became the first Muslim mayor of America’s largest city, placing his hand on the Quran during the ceremony. Calling the moment “the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” he delivered brief remarks highlighting the city’s legacy of public service and transit.

In his first official comments, Mamdani described the old subway station as a symbol of New York’s public infrastructure and announced Mike Flynn as his new Commissioner of the Department of Transportation. He then concluded the ceremony and exited the station.

At 34, Mamdani is among the youngest mayors in the city’s history, as well as its first mayor of South Asian descent and first born in Africa. He will take the oath again at a public ceremony at City Hall later in the day, as he begins his tenure focused on affordability and cost-of-living reforms in New York City.