NEW YORK - Democrat Bill de Blasio took the oath of office administered by former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday, formally becoming New York City’s 109th mayor while pledging to pursue a sweeping liberal agenda.
“Big dreams are not a luxury reserved for a privileged few but the animating force behind every community, in every borough,” he said.
The moment was the pinnacle of de Blasio’s unlikely political rise as a symbol of restoration for the city’s Democrats, who outnumber Republicans by a 6-to-1 ratio in one of the nation’s most liberal cities yet hadn’t controlled City Hall since 1993.
De Blasio was first sworn in 12 hours earlier at a brief ceremony outside his home in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood. Flanked by his wife, Chirlane McCray, and their two teenage children, he was administered the oath by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, signed the official paperwork and, with a broad smile, paid the requisite $9 fee to the city clerk.
The events at City Hall were conducted on a far grander scale.
Clinton was joined by his wife, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a presumptive White House front-runner in 2016. Another potential presidential candidate, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also sat nearby, as did former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, just hours into his first day as a private citizen after spending 12 years in office.
Thousands of people braved low New Year’s Day temperatures to salute the new mayor, who held a receiving line in City Hall after the ceremony. Two other Democrats also were sworn in to hold citywide offices: Letitia James as public advocate and Scott Stringer as comptroller.
De Blasio thanked his family, supporters and the city for “taking on the elite” and pushing for change.
“When I said we would take dead aim at the tale of two cities, I meant it. And we will do it,” he said. “I will honor the faith and trust you have placed in me. And we will give life to the hope of so many in our city. We will succeed … as one city.”
The celebrities in attendance were not just confined to the political world: Singer Harry Belafonte opened the event, while actresses Cynthia Nixon and Patina Miller had starring roles. Scores of everyday New Yorkers took part, including 11-year-old Dasani, who was featured in The New York Times’ multipart series on homelessness from which de Blasio has repeatedly said he has drawn inspiration.
Speaker after speaker, from Bellafonte to Stringer to James, railed against the city’s inequality, delivering sharp rebukes to - though never mentioning by name - Bloomberg, who was sitting just a few feet away. Only Bill Clinton and de Blasio offered praise for the former mayor, whose poll numbers remain relatively high.
De Blasio’s first test in office, however, will likely be a practical one delivered by Mother Nature: A significant snowstorm is expected to hit the city today and Friday.
In Detroit, Mike Duggan was sworn in as mayor and held initial staff meetings at City Hall after the morning ceremony, continuing the work he has done on Detroit’s behalf since voters elected him in November.
With outgoing Mayor Dave Bing at his side, Duggan praised his predecessor, calling him one of his heroes.
“I’m going to continue to build on what he started, and I just want to say thank you,” Duggan said during a brief ceremony.
The former Detroit Medical Center chief has attended a meeting of new mayors hosted by the White House, put together his own administration and lobbied with emergency manager Kevyn Orr for a greater role in the city’s immediate turnaround.
Under Michigan’s emergency manager law, Orr has control over Detroit’s finances. He filed the city’s bankruptcy petition in July. On Dec. 3, federal Judge Steven Rhodes made Detroit the largest U.S. city to enter bankruptcy.
“We have a division of responsibilities that I respect,” Duggan said. “I’m going to do the best job I can.”
Duggan announced Dec. 19 that he and Orr agreed to share some of the duties in running the city, with the bulk of financial responsibilities still under the emergency manager’s control.
At Wednesday’s ceremony, Duggan said that he would “be dealing with things like getting the buses running and the snow plowed and those kind of day-to-day things that people in Detroit deserve.” Information for this article was contributed by Corey Williams of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 01/02/2014