Gray Calls For Unity During Inaugural Address

Vincent Gray is now officially the mayor of Washington.

The former council chairman was sworn in over the weekend with just minutes to spare before the noon deadline.

In his address, Gray hit on the same theme that carried him to victory over incumbent Adrian Fenty: uniting Washington under the banner of 'One City'.

"Whether we are black, white, red, brown or yellow, whether we get around by car, bus, train, foot or bike, this is one city, our city, the District of Columbia," Gray says.

Gray also made a strong push for statehood saying District residents remain the only people in America shut out of democracy.

"We cannot rest until we achieve true self-determination and, yes, become our nation's 51st state in the United States of America," he says.

But Gray's first order of business will be getting a handle on the city's ballooning budget deficit. He was asked after the inauguration if tax increases were on the table, and Gray said "they're close to the table, if not the table top."

NBC4 video of the swearing-in ceremony: