Highlights from NYC Mayor Mamdani's historic 1st day in office
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, attend his ceremonial inauguration at City Hall on Thursday, Jan. 1. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani vowed during his inauguration speech Thursday to govern the biggest city in the U.S. as a Democratic socialist — "expansively and audaciously."
The big picture: Hours after being sworn in as NYC's first Muslim leader, taking the oath using a historic Quran, Mamdani signed several executive orders designed to combat the city's housing crisis and revoking EOs that former Mayor Eric Adams signed.
Zoom in: The orders that Mamdani rescinded related to those Adams issued after Sept. 26, 2024, when his predecessor Adams was indicted on federal bribery and fraud charges, which the Trump administration later successfully pushed to have dropped.
- The 34-year-old took the action on his first day in office to ensure "a fresh start for the incoming administration and reissues executive orders that the administration feels are central to delivering continued service, excellence, and value-driven leadership," per a statement from Mamdani's office.
- "We will not compromise on housing quality," Mamdani said after signing the orders tackling housing.
- "If your landlord does not responsibly steward your home, city government will step in," he said.
- "We will make sure that 311 violations are resolved and we will hold slumlords to account for hazardous and dangerous threats to your wellbeing."
Of note: The youngest mayor in over a century told reporters later Thursday that he would ensure that the mayoral Office to Combat Antisemitism, which Adams established last May, would remain open.
- "In our second executive order, we write about the structure of city government, and that structure also includes the continued incorporation of the Office to Combat Antisemitism," Mamdani said.
- "That is an issue that we take very seriously and is part of the commitment that we've made to Jewish New Yorkers."
What he's saying: "Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously," said Mamdani, New York's first mayor of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa, during his inaugural speech outside City Hall.
- "We may not always succeed. But never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try," he added.
- "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. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical."
In photos: Scenes from Mamdani's 1st day in office
More from Axios:
- Zohran Mamdani and the Wall Street vibe shift
- "Mamdani revolution" comes for House Democrats
- Inside Trump and Mamdani's surprising bond of convenience
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
