Zohran Mamdani made history by becoming New York City's first Muslim, South Asian, and African-born mayor, taking his oath on January 1, 2026, with his hand on the Quran. This marked the first time the Quran was used in a NYC mayoral inauguration. Mamdani, a millennial Democrat, focused his campaign on affordability and religious identity, building a coalition that included many first-time Muslim and South Asian voters. While oath-taking on religious texts is customary, it is not legally mandated, with most previous mayors using a Bible.