Zohran Mamdani to be sworn in by Bernie Sanders, Letitia James
by Chris Benson · UPIDec. 22 (UPI) -- Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in as New York City's next mayor alongside two leading political figures.
New York's Attorney General Letitia James will swear in Mamdani at midnight on Jan. 1, surrounded by Mamdani's family. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will conduct a public inauguration later that day to be open to all New Yorkers, according to the transition team.
In January 2018, Sanders swore in then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio for his second term.
New York City's mayoral inaugurations usually host about 4,000 invited guests at City Hall Plaza, but Mamdani plans to open it up with a public block party along Broadway's Canyon of Heroes creating space for tens of thousands to join.
Mamdani's Democratic-Socialist platform focused on making New York more affordable for its millions of residents.
He earned support from more than 1.1 million voters as the city's first mayoral candidate to cross that threshold in over five decades.
Sanders endorsed Mamdani in June, calling his campaign "inspirational" and his leadership "visionary."
In November, Mamdani beat former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, earning 50.8% of the vote to Cuomo's 41.3% in an election day sweep for Democrats nationwide.
The city is promoting the event as the "Inauguration of a New Era" in a citywide celebration to launch Mamdani's term as the youngest mayor of America's biggest metropolis at age 34.
Mamdani will assume office on the first day of January with a public inauguration and block party planned.
According to city officials, more details on logistics and security will soon be announced.
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