Mayor Zohran Mamdani doubles down in an unapologetically progressive inauguration
- - Mayor Zohran Mamdani doubles down in an unapologetically progressive inauguration
Analysis by Gloria Pazmino, CNNJanuary 2, 2026 at 11:14 AM
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani vowed to govern as a democratic socialist, saying he would not "abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical." - Kylie Cooper/Reuters
If there was any hope New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani would inch towards the middle or appeal to moderate Democrats as he launched his administration, it vanished in the bitter January air that ushered in the start of his term.
During his inaugural address Thursday, Mamdani sought to send a clear message: That the left had won the hard-fought race for mayor, and his administration is now intent on showing the rest of the country that progressive liberals can, in fact, govern.
At a time of deep political division across the US, Mamdani stuck to his political identity and ideology, reminding the crowd he had been “elected as a democratic socialist,” promising to “govern as a democratic socialist” and castigating the politics of complacency and the political establishment for failing its constituency.
It was an unapologetically progressive speech, in which Mamdani framed the mainstream Democratic party as one that lacked imagination and ambition. Then, he vowed to not “abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
It’s a high bar for a new mayor who is taking the reins of a complicated city in a political landscape that often demands compromise.
Before securing the mayoralty, Mamdani showed his willingness to make concessions and back away from some controversial positions. During the campaign, for instance, Mamdani was forced to distance himself from his previous criticism of the New York Police Department and a call to defund the agency.
But on Thursday, the new mayor sought to dispel any suggestions he would soften his agenda.
“In writing this address, I have been told that this is the occasion to reset expectations, that I should use this opportunity to encourage the people of New York to ask for little and expect even less,” he said. “I will do no such thing. The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations.”
Mamdani also tried to strike a unifying tone. He spoke directly to opponents and critics who remain skeptical the 34-year-old former state assemblyman will be able to run the largest city in the nation and enact an agenda many consider too liberal and unrealistic.
Mamdani has proposed taxing the city’s wealthiest residents and raising the corporate tax rate – moves that would require the support of the state legislature and the governor – to pay for his signature agenda items: universal childcare, “fast and free” city buses and enacting a rent freeze for rent stabilized tenants.
“If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor,” Mamdani told the crowd. “Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you and never, not for a second, hide from you.”
Mamdani’s focus on working-class New Yorkers was peppered throughout his speech. He spoke of taxi drivers and restaurant servers, hospital workers and subway operators, describing people who work in the shadows and often go unnoticed while struggling to stay afloat.
The working-class and the labor movement was a central theme throughout the day.
Shortly before addressing the crowd, a duo performed the “Bread and Roses” anthem –– the title a nod to a political slogan that became a rallying cry for workers’ rights in 1912. The imagery is meant to symbolize people’s need for basic necessities, but also beauty. In choosing the performance, Mamdani’s administration appeared to try and tell New Yorkers it was possible to have both.
“What’s radical is a system which gives so much to so few and denies so many people the basic necessities of life,” Mamdani said, quoting Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who administered Mamdani’s public oath of office. Sanders praised New Yorkers and Mamdani for giving hope and inspiration to “people all over this country.”
US Sen. Bernie Sanders swears in New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his public inauguration ceremony on Thursday. - Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
Mamdani’s election in November sparked a debate about whether the national Democratic party should shift leftward, focus on issues affecting the working class and specifically target voters by highlighting affordability, especially in the upcoming midterm elections.
Hours after delivering his inaugural address, Mamdani traveled to Brooklyn, where he took the first action of his administration, signing a set of executive orders focused on housing.
Then it was back to City Hall, where dozens of workers still toiled in the cold, breaking down chairs and stage equipment used earlier in the day. As they shuffled inside the building, Mamdani was set up behind a folding table, distributing hot chocolate.
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