On the first freezing winter day of 2026, surrounded by thousands of cheering New Yorkers and progressive Democratic allies, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani pledged to tell a new story of our city.
City Hall will deliver an agenda of safety, affordability, and abundance - where government looks and lives like the people it represents, he told the crowd in his inaugural address.
It was the same message that propelled the 34-year-old Democratic socialist to an unexpected electoral victory in November. His pitch to lead the most expensive US city included big changes, such as universal childcare, free public buses and city-run grocery stores.
But the mayor is likely to encounter several challenges in trying to deliver on these promises, and he'll need to keep on board other important political stakeholders - beginning on his first full day in office.
He'll put all of his political and other might behind getting these things accomplished, said Patrick Egan, a professor of politics and public policy at New York University. But, he said, New York City is a big place, it's a complicated place, and so, all bets are off about whether these things can happen or not.
1. Paying for policy promises
Mamdani's lofty policy platform has centred on cost-of-living issues, including freezing rent hikes for subsidised housing units and providing universal free childcare.
He will be able to accomplish some of his policy goals on his own and without significant expense, government experts said. For instance, if he wants to freeze rents for subsidised housing, he can appoint people aligned with this policy on the city's rent control board.
But finding the funding to make other goals a reality when the state and city face budget shortfalls will prove complicated, government experts said.
Mamdani has said some funding would come from new taxes. He believes taxes on the wealthy could raise as much as $9bn (£6.6bn), with pledges to raise the corporate tax rate from 7.25% to 11.5%.
2. Avoiding White House intervention
For weeks leading up to the New York City mayoral election, President Donald Trump took to social media and news briefings to attack Mamdani, a rising Democratic star.
Trump threatened to withhold billions of federal dollars to the city if Mamdani was elected.
3. Getting business leaders on board
Mamdani's shock victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary in June sent Wall Street leaders into a frenzy.
Some business leaders threatened to leave the city if he was elected, while Mamdani reached out to his opponents in the business world to hear their concerns.
4. Addressing public safety
As mayor, Mamdani will face a perennial challenge for New York City leaders, tackling crime and maintaining a sense of safety for New Yorkers.
Mamdani has promised to create a Department of Community Safety that would invest in mental health programmes and crisis response as well as deploy outreach workers to subway stations across the city.
Democratic strategist Howard Wolfson stated, Public safety is really kind of the prerequisite for success or failure.
