Zohran Mamdani… The Mayor of the City of New York….

“I stand alongside countless more New Yorkers watching from cramped kitchens in Flushing and barber shops in East New York, from cellphones propped against the dashboards of parked taxicabs at LaGuardia, hospitals in Mott Haven and libraries in El Barrio that have too long known only neglect.”

Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist whose astonishing yearlong rise from the obscurity of the State Assembly’s backbench to the helm of the nation’s largest city made many more moderate and centrist New Yorkers nervous, sought to reassure his critics, too.

To those “who view this administration with distrust or disdain,” Mr. Mamdani said, “I promise you this. If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor. Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, I will celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never, not for a second, hide from you.”

Nevertheless, Mr. Mamdani, who spent months reassuring civic and business leaders of his pragmatism, vowed, “I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist.”

Lest there be any doubt what that meant, Mr. Mamdani doubled down, saying, “Those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.”

Hours later, he appeared at a rent-stabilized building in Brooklyn to announce three housing-related executive orders.

Earlier, the star-studded ceremony at City Hall featured two avatars of the progressive wing of American politics who helped propel Mr. Mamdani to the mayoralty: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York delivered opening remarks and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont administered the oath of office.

Mr. Mamdani’s ascension sets several precedents. Born 34 years ago in Uganda, he is New York’s youngest mayor in more than a century. He is the first Muslim mayor — he took the oath of office with his hand on a Quran — the first South Asian, and the first mayor born in Africa. A democratic socialist, he is perhaps New York’s farthest-left mayor since Fiorello La Guardia.

On Thursday, he reminded his audience that there would be many people watching his mayoralty who “want to know if the left can govern.”

“They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved,” he continued. “They want to know if it is right to hope again. So, standing together with the wind of purpose at our backs, we will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: We will set an example for the world.”

Here’s what else to know:

• Mamdani’s address: “Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously,” New York’s new mayor said in an inaugural address in which he sought to energize his supporters and ease the concerns of his critics. Read the full transcript of Mr. Mamdani’s remarks.

• Ceremony highlights: An imam offered a powerful prayer for Mr. Mamdani and New York itself. Jumaane Williams, the city’s public advocate, delivered an emotional speech affirming his worth, and the worth of all the city’s underdogs, after he was sworn in for a third term. And Rama Duwaji, New York’s new first lady, stood out in frigid weather, amid a sea of puffers and overcoats, our fashion critic writes.

• Building a team: Mr. Mamdani has countered concerns about his youth, inexperience and leftist stances by appointing seasoned government officials to key spots.

• Taking the reins: Mr. Mamdani succeeds Eric Adams, whose re-election bid was brought down by corruption and weak polling numbers and who spent much of his final days in office setting obstacles for the new mayor.

More….

image…Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will leave their one-bedroom apartment in Astoria, Queens, for Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence.Credit…Vincent Alban/The New York Times