"Mamdani’s lack of experience and his identification as a Democratic socialist have unnerved many of the city’s powerful elite”, reports the Wall Street Journal below. "Since his victory in early November, he has been walking a tightrope, trying to make nice with his political adversaries while staying true to his far-left supporters."
“I think it’s the ideological pieces that get people nervous," said Daniella Ballou-Aares, CEO of the Leadership Now Project, a business group of 400 politically active current and retired business executives. ____________________________________________ *Mamdani Takes Office and Must Now Try to Deliver on His Boldest Promises* archive.is ( https://archive.is/um3gE ) By James Fanelli Wall Street Journal January 1 2026 New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on stage with his wife, Rama Duwaji, after the swearing-in ceremony Thursday afternoon at City Hall. Zohran Mamdani became the mayor of New York City on Thursday, declaring he will govern “expansively and audaciously” and promising to make good on his pledge to lower the cost of living for New Yorkers. “We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try,” the 34-year-old Democratic socialist said at his inauguration, after Sen. Bernie Sanders administered the oath of office to him on the steps of City Hall. The new mayor, who arrived at City Hall in a yellow taxi cab, planned a day of celebration around his inauguration, including an outdoor party along several blocks of Broadway in lower Manhattan. Thousands of his supporters braved freezing temperatures and waited in hourslong lines to watch his swearing-in and enjoy the festivities. Earlier Thursday, Mamdani officially became the mayor at a small, private gathering in a decommissioned Gilded Age-era subway station. Mamdani, the city’s youngest mayor in more than 100 years, faces high expectations that he can make New York more affordable, coupled with concerns from business leaders that his untested policies could cripple the economy and lead to a resurgence in crime. New Yorkers swept the political newcomer into office on the basis of an ambitious agenda that includes curbing soaring rents, expanding free child care and creating a free bus system. ( https://archive.is/o/um3gE/https://www.wsj.com/us-news/zohran-mamdani-nyc-major-challenges-3c32befb ) He will only have a short runaway to show people he is on the path to achieving results ( https://archive.is/o/um3gE/https://www.wsj.com/us-news/zohran-mamdani-nyc-major-challenges-3c32befb ). “You are given about a week to deliver,” said Andrea Hagelgans, a former senior adviser to Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We have no patience as New Yorkers.” Mamdani should focus on the policies for which he can lay out tangible goals in a relatively short time frame, Hagelgans said. Building additional affordable housing will take years. He should pair that effort with expanding child care, which would bring quicker results and carries broad appeal, she said. A free bus service is also realistic, but it is expected to cost $800 million annually, and would require coordination with the state’s transportation authority, which operates the city’s transit system. Mamdani also can try to freeze rent increases on rent-regulated apartments, but that would affect only about a quarter of the city’s housing stock. Pulling off any of his big-ticket proposals will mean compromise and at times appeasing his opponents, especially the business community, which has been an important ally even for progressive mayors in negotiating funding and policy initiatives with state lawmakers. “I would not be surprised if he becomes more moderate in his stances,” Hagelgans said. In just a year, Mamdani—an immigrant from Uganda of South Asian descent—has gone from a virtually unknown state assemblyman to a rising star in the Democratic Party ( https://archive.is/o/um3gE/https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/how-mamdani-went-from-little-known-socialist-lawmaker-to-nyc-mayor-0a185e54 ). His focus on affordability and adroit use of social media in his campaign attracted young voters and members of immigrant communities. At the start of the inauguration, Mamdani kissed his wife inside the rotunda of City Hall before walking out its pillared doorways to thunderous cheers in the plaza. The new mayor, a Muslim, smiled and placed his hand on a Quran when he took the oath of office. He turned much of his inauguration speech into a valentine to the city, highlighting his favorite places and memories of New York. “Where else could a Muslim kid like me grow up eating bagels and lox every Sunday?” he said. Mamdani’s lack of experience and his identification as a Democratic socialist have unnerved many of the city’s powerful elite and made him a prime target for President Trump. Since his victory in early November, he has been walking a tightrope, trying to make nice with his political adversaries while staying true to his far-left supporters. Mamdani acknowledged his detractors in his inauguration speech but said he intended to serve them as well. “I promise you this: If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor,” he said. Mamdani has tried to allay the concerns of Wall Street executives and real-estate developers, who are skeptical of his plans to raise taxes on the wealthy and on corporations to cover the hefty price tags on his proposals. Critics have also questioned the effectiveness of his policing proposals on public safety, including creating a new city agency to deploy mental-health teams in response to some emergency calls. In recent weeks, he has hosted roundtables with members of the business community to discuss ways to cut through the red tape of building affordable housing and to find common ground on child care. In another overture, he persuaded Jessica Tisch ( https://archive.is/o/um3gE/https://www.wsj.com/us-news/new-york-police-commissioner-jessica-tisch-to-stay-in-post-under-mamdani-3dba53b6 ) —the city’s police commissioner—to stay in her job in his administration. Despite the outreach, members of the business community remain wary of Mamdani, saying they are disappointed he hasn’t appointed more people with private-sector backgrounds to his new administration. “I think it’s the ideological pieces that get people nervous,” said Daniella Ballou-Aares, CEO of the Leadership Now Project, a business group of 400 politically active current and retired business executives. Since his victory, the new mayor has also sought to defuse tensions with Trump, with whom he had traded barbs during the campaign. Trump had previously threatened to deploy National Guard troops to New York if Mamdani won the election. But the two politicians had a congenial meeting at the White House in late November. Mamdani is expected to loom large over the coming state legislative session, which begins later this month. State lawmakers would need to approve any additional funding to the city or tax increases. “He goes up to Albany with the political will in his fist and the wind at his back,” said former New York City Councilman Justin Brannan. Brannan, a Democrat who chaired the council’s finance committee, added that Mamdani can look for wiggle room for his proposals in the city’s $116 billion budget. “It’s all about priorities,” Brannan said. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. 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