Zohran Mamdani might not be sworn in as 111th New York Mayor – here’s why

On January 1, Zohran Mamdani is set to make history as New York City’s mayor—provided the official records agree. After a dramatic election, Mamdani secured 50.78% of the vote, defeating Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent former governor Andrew Cuomo. His victory made headlines worldwide, marking him as the city’s first Muslim mayor and the youngest since 1892 at just 34 years old.

Mamdani’s rise is a win for progressive politics. A former community organizer from Queens, he captured the enthusiasm of young voters and built a grassroots campaign that propelled him from relative obscurity to the New York State Assembly in 2020. On January 1, he’ll officially succeed Eric Adams, taking the reins of one of the world’s most iconic cities.

But a surprising twist has emerged in the lead-up to his inauguration. Historian Paul Hortenstine uncovered what he calls a centuries-old error in New York City’s mayoral records. According to his research—and earlier findings by historian Peter R. Christoph in 1989—the official count of mayors has overlooked a nonconsecutive term served by Mayor Matthias Nicolls in the 1670s.