Mayor de Blasio takes formal oath in New York City

NEW YORK – Democrat Bill de Blasio took the oath of office administered by former President Bill Clinton on Wednesday, formally becoming the 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 6-1 ratio yet haven’t controlled City Hall since 1993.

De Blasio was first sworn in 12 hours earlier at a brief ceremony outside his Brooklyn home. Flanked by his wife, Chirlane McCray, and their two teenage children, he was given the oath by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.