Why Zohran Mamdani may not be sworn in as New York’s 111th mayor after shocking detail emerges

Newly elected New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, 34, made history in November, but one historian claims he may never officially be recognized as the city’s 111th mayor.

Mamdani’s win was groundbreaking — he is the first Muslim, the first South Asian, the first African-born, and the first Millennial to hold the office. His wife, Rama Duwaji, also becomes the city’s first Gen Z first lady.

While Donald Trump has mocked him as a “communist lunatic,” New Yorkers are awaiting Mamdani’s inauguration on 1 January 2026. Still, some experts argue that a centuries-old counting error means he should technically be the 112th mayor instead.

Historian Paul Hortenstine sparked the discussion after discovering that Matthias Nicolls, considered the city’s sixth mayor, actually served two non-consecutive terms in the 1670s. The second term had largely been overlooked in official records.

Nicolls’ additional term, verified through documents tied to colonial governor Edmund Andros, suggests NYC’s mayoral numbering has been off by one for more than three centuries. If corrected, Mamdani would be labeled the 112th mayor, not the 111th.

This also means every mayor after the first six has technically been misnumbered — including recent leaders like Eric Adams. Historian Peter R. Christoph previously highlighted the same issue in 1989, noting that former mayor Ed Koch was incorrectly listed as the 105th instead of the 106th.

Whether city officials will address or revise the historical numbering remains unclear, leaving open questions about how Mamdani will ultimately be recorded in New York’s political history.