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Mai, 48, won 87 out of 89 votes cast by the city's legislature, the People's Council, at its meeting on Tuesday.
The election was held after all 89 deputies agreed to end the term of his predecessor Nguyen Thanh Phong, who was named deputy head of the Central Economic Commission last Friday.
Mai said his work as chairman will first focus on Covid-19 control and prevention, with actions to reduce deaths and take care of the livelihoods of residents, especially poor people.
He will set up social-economic development plans that suit the pandemic situation.
Mai, a native of the Mekong Delta's Ben Tre Province, holds a Bachelor's degree in English and a Master's degree in economics.
The Communist Party's decision making body, the Politburo, had appointed Mai, who was Ben Tre Party Secretary, as HCMC’s Deputy Party Secretary for the 2020-2025 term on June 1.
Since June 28, he has been deputy head of the city's Covid-19 prevention and control committee headed by Phong.
Also a Ben Tre native, Phong had served as deputy secretary of the city Party Committee from March 2015. He was voted as People's Committee Chairman for 2016-21 in October 2015, while holding the Party position. He was recently reelected as chairman for the 2021-26 term.
HCMC has been the epicenter of Vietnam’s fourth wave for almost two months. With more than 180,200 community infections and 6,878 deaths recorded in the wave that emerged four months ago, the city has undergone different levels of social distancing measures since late May and is now imposing its strictest measures to date.
Starting Monday, all residents are required to "stay where they are" for 15 days, with military forces joining others in different activities including ensuring supply of essentials to residents.
