Mamdani promises 'a government of New York, by New York, for New York'

As the new mayor takes office, he must charm opponents and allies alike to push through his agenda. Katie McQue reports from New York

- Katie McQue

Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration as mayor of New York featured rapturous crowds, a sprawling block party and chants of “Tax the rich”. Despite the freezing cold on New Year’s Day, tens of thousands came to see him sworn in as the city’s first Muslim leader.

“Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously,” Mamdani told them. “We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try.”

He also repeated the core promises of his campaign: free buses, free childcare and a rent freeze, funded by increasing taxes on businesses and the wealthy. Now the celebrations are over, attention will turn to whether he can deliver. Can this self-described socialist lower the cost of living in America’s most expensive city?

Mamdani will have to navigate a dense web of institutional and economic interests. In New York, power does not reside only in City Hall. It is exercised by landlords who can derail progressive housing policy; by business interests that threaten capital flight; by a political establishment adept at procedural obstruction; and by a state structure that limits mayoral authority.

Although New York’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, endorsed Mamdani’s campaign, the pair are not aligned on several issues. Hochul, a business-friendly centrist, is gearing up for her own reelection campaign in 2026. As a result, she could block Mamdani’s plan to put a 2% tax on New Yorkers who earn more than $1m a year, which risks alienating some of her supporters.

“That absolutely requires Albany [the state capital], and I don’t think the governor is going to be inclined to want to do that, given that she’s facing a reelection,” said Grant Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University in New York.