Zohran Mamdani Is New York City's First Muslim Mayor — When Does He Get to Work?

History was made in the 2025 New York City mayoral race when Zohran Mamdani took home the victory. Not only is he the city's first Muslim mayor, but he is also its first democratic socialist leader. During his victory speech, Mayor-Elect Mamdani reiterated his previously stated goals for The Big Apple while sending a very clear message of defiance to President Donald Trump.

His campaign promises included freezing stabilized rents, providing universal childcare, free busing, and lowering the cost of living by raising taxes for the city's 1 percent. Mamdani has a long road ahead of him and a ton of work to do. When does he actually start his job as mayor? Keep reading for more information.

Mamdani will be sworn in as mayor on Jan. 1, 2026, reports NBC New York. This will likely happen on the steps of City Hall, though Mayor Eric Adams chose to do his in Times Square, immediately after the ball dropped. The new mayor can be sworn in as early as 12:01 a.m., hence Adams's dramatic ceremony, but some mayors choose to have a public ceremony a bit later.

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio had a private swearing-in ceremony just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2014, per Fox 5 NY. Several hours later, he did it again for the people in a daytime ceremony outside City Hall. That is typically what most New York City mayors have done.

In the coming weeks following his election, Mamdani and his team will roll out their transition plans. This includes cabinet appointments and early policy priorities. While Mamdani hasn't expressly mentioned who will be working with him in City Hall, we have an idea of what it could look like based on the folks he surrounded himself with during the campaign.

According to The New York Times, Mamdani chose to work with "seasoned city hands" and individuals with little to no previous experience in politics. His chief of staff is 34-year-old Elle Bisgaard-Church, who is an active democratic socialist straight out of graduate school. She is expected to join Mamdani in some capacity at City Hall.

Julian Gerson, 28, is a former aide to Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York and Gov. Kathy Hochul. He stepped in as Mamdani's chief speechwriter during his campaign. It's likely he will continue in that position during Mamdani's time as mayor. Brad Lander, the city comptroller who initially ran against Mamdani, is expected to secure a high-level position in Mamdani's administration. Lander and Mamdani cross-endorsed each other during the primaries.

One of Mamdani's major focuses is on housing affordability in New York City. During his campaign, he was advised by democratic socialist Cea Weaver. She is the director of the New York State Tenant Bloc, a nonprofit group that has pushed for tenant protections in Albany. It would make all the sense in the world if Weaver continued in this capacity with Mamdani's administration.