Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday vowed to be a mayor for all New Yorkers — even those who may be skeptical of his progressive agenda.
"Over 2 million New Yorkers cast their ballots. Whether they were the more than million who supported this campaign or the others who supported someone else or whether they felt too disappointed by the political process to participate at all, I will work every day to honor the trust that I will now hold," Mamdani said Wednesday.
The 34-year-old is preparing for his inauguration on Jan. 1 and is assembling a transition team led by women.
He also said he wants to retain NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, despite earlier statements suggesting he might go in a new direction. It would likely be welcomed by those who expressed concerns about Mamdani's vision for the police department, given his past comments about defunding the police.
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Mamdani rode a wave of enthusiasm and economic populism to defeat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who received a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump.
The president has threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani were elected.
"New Yorkers are facing twin crises in this moment — an authoritarian administration and an affordability crisis. And it'll be my job to deliver on both," he said.
While the “authoritarian” remark was a clear reference to Trump, Mamdani said he would still be willing to meet with the president to discuss areas where they can agree.
"I continue to be interested in having a conversation with President Trump on the ways in which we can work together to serve New Yorkers, whether that be delivering on his campaign promises around cost of living or the many issues that New Yorkers have been sharing with me about the drastic impacts that the legislation that President Trump has ushered through Washington will mean for them and their lives," he said.
Mamdani will become the first Muslim mayor of New York City when he is sworn in. He promised there would be no tolerance for Islamophobia or antisemitism in the city.
On Wednesday, he condemned swastikas painted on a Jewish day school.
"This is a disgusting and heartbreaking act of antisemitism, and it has no place in our beautiful city," he said. "As Mayor, I will always stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbors to root the scourge of antisemitism out of our city."
