NEW YORK (AP) — Less than 24 hours after throngs of ecstatic supporters descended on Manhattan for his history-making inauguration, Zoran Mamdani began his first full day at work, following a routine familiar to many New Yorkers: trudging from a cramped apartment to the subway.
Bundling up in frigid temperatures and seemingly fighting off a cold, he set out from the one-bedroom Queens apartment he shares with his wife on Friday morning. But unlike most commuters, Mamdani’s journey was documented by photo and video crews and periodically interrupted by neighbors wishing him good luck.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist, whose victory was hailed as a watershed moment for the progressive movement, now begins the task of running the country’s largest city: signing orders, announcing appointments, facing media questions and answering some of the actions he has taken within hours of taking office.
But first, a symbolically charged first day of commuting.
On a Manhattan-bound train, surrounded by security and a small group of aides, he agreed to take a few selfies with wide-eyed passengers, then walked to a corner seat on the train to review his briefing materials.
When two French tourists, confused by the hustle and bustle, approached Mamdani, he introduced himself as “the new mayor of New York.” They seemed suspicious. He held up his morning copy of the New York Daily News, emblazoned with his smiling face, as evidence.
Mamdani, a Democrat, isn’t the only mayor using transit to convey relevance. His predecessor, Eric Adams, also rode the subway on his first day in office, and both Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg have made a habit of riding the subway, especially when seeking to make a political point.
Within minutes of Mamdani entering City Hall, photos of him riding public transport attracted attention on social media.
If the ride was a well-timed photo op, it also seemed to reflect Mamdani’s promise in his inaugural speech to ensure his “government looks and lives like the people it represents.”
His other early actions seemed to underscore this priority.
After largely focusing his campaign on lowering rents for New Yorkers, Mamdani ran from his inauguration to the lobby of a Brooklyn apartment building on Thursday, drawing loud cheers from tenants’ unions as he pledged to step up the city’s ongoing legal battle against allegedly negligent landlords.
Mamdani’s next move, meanwhile, shows the unusual scrutiny his nascent government faces, particularly around his criticism of Israel and outspoken support for the Palestinian cause.
In an effort to clear his administration’s name, he rescinded a series of executive orders issued by Adams late in his term, including two related to Israel: one that formally adopted a controversial definition of anti-Semitism that included certain criticism of Israel, and another that prohibited city agencies and employees from boycotting or withdrawing from the country.
The move prompted a swift backlash from some Jewish groups, including accusations posted on social media by the Israeli government that Mamdani had “poured anti-Semitic gasoline on an open fire.”
When asked by a reporter on Friday about the rescinded order, Mamdani read from prepared remarks and pledged that his government would “work relentlessly to eliminate hatred and division.” He noted that he retained the mayor’s office to combat anti-Semitism.
Mamdani also announced the creation of an office of “mass engagement,” which he said will continue his campaign’s on-the-ground efforts to engage more New Yorkers in politics.
Surrounded by supporters and passers-by, who stood in rows holding up their phones to catch a glimpse of the new mayor, Mamdani later acknowledged the importance of the current moment.
“We have an opportunity to make New Yorkers believe again in the possibilities of city government,” he said. “Without action, this belief cannot be sustained.”
Also on Mamdani’s to-do list: move to the Mayor’s Mansion, a palatial mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, before the lease on his Queens apartment expires later this month.
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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report.
