Mayor Eric Adams says he’ll attend Zohran Madani’s inauguration on Thursday, framing his decision as a public show of continuity despite months of political tension between the mayor and his successor.
Mamdani is planning two inaugurations: a private ceremony at the old City Hall subway stop just after the current mayor drops the New Year’s ball in Times Square at midnight, and a public inauguration Thursday afternoon.
Adams told WABC that he and Mamdani spoke on Tuesday and agreed Adams’ presence would underscore a “smooth, peaceful transition of power.”
“He made it clear that he would like for me to attend, and I would like to be there,” Adams said. “We both know how important that is.”
The decision comes after a bruising campaign season that exposed deep differences between the outgoing and incoming mayors.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, ran as a sharp critic of Adams’ administration, frequently attacking the mayor’s record on housing costs, policing and City Hall corruption. Adams — running as an independent after pulling out of the Democratic primary — dismissed Mamdani’s progressive platform, including his promises of a rent freeze and free buses, as “snake oil.”
In recent weeks, Adams has appeared to work to stymie Mamdani’s term before it even begins. He recently named the controversial Elizabeth Street Garden a city park, complicating Mamdani’s pledge to build hundreds of new housing units at the site. The mayor also announced that he would name four people to the Rent Guidelines Board. The board is crucial to Mamdani’s rent-freeze pledge.
Those clashes fueled speculation about whether Adams would attend the swearing-in at all. On Tuesday, Adams sought to tamp down that uncertainty, saying Mamdani personally reassured him that his attendance would be welcome.
“He said it would be good to see you there,” Adams said.
Ryan Kost
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