Zohran Mamdani, 34, was elected New York City’s new mayor last month, marking several historic milestones. He is the first Muslim, the first South Asian, and the first Africa-born individual to lead the city. His election represents a significant demographic shift in the city’s political landscape.

Although Mamdani is scheduled to be sworn in in January 2026 as the 111th mayor, new historical research suggests he may technically be the 112th. Historian Paul Hortenstine uncovered a long-overlooked discrepancy while researching early mayors and their connections to the slave trade.

Hortenstine discovered that Matthias Nicolls, officially recorded as the city’s sixth mayor, actually served two non-consecutive terms—in 1672 and again in 1675. According to standard political counting practices, these should be listed as separate mayoralties, similar to the way U.S. presidents with split terms are numbered.

Because this second term was never counted, every subsequent mayor has been assigned a number one below what it should be. Hortenstine has notified the mayor’s office, explaining that the mistake originated from a misinterpreted 17th-century archival entry.

The discrepancy is not entirely new. Historian Peter R. Christoph raised the same issue in 1989, questioning how the numbering of nearly a hundred mayors could be off. Despite the earlier warning, the numbering system was never corrected.

The newly resurfaced research does not affect Mamdani’s authority or the legitimacy of his upcoming administration. Instead, it alters only the ceremonial count associated with his position as mayor.

Whether the city will officially revise the numbering remains uncertain. Any correction would require updating multiple historical records and public documents.