New York City’s Mayoral Numbering Confusion

There’s a bit of a mix-up regarding Zoran Mamdani’s position in the line of New York City mayors. While many refer to him as the 111th mayor, historians assert he will actually be the 112th.

Michael Lorenzini, a researcher at the City Records Office, recently examined the city’s historical records and found that mayoral numbering has been inaccurately recorded for centuries.

The root of the problem? Mayor Matthias Nichols’ second nonconsecutive term from 1674-1675 was omitted from the official list of leaders, leading to the miscount, as Lorenzini explained in a recent blog post.

“One thing is sure: he is not Mayor 111,” Lorenzini noted about Mamdani.

This misunderstanding regarding mayoral numbering was flagged by archivists back in 1989, but it gained more attention recently thanks to historian Paul Hortenstein’s research. He rediscovered overlooked records related to Nichols’ term, just as Mamdani emerged victorious in the election on November 4 and prepares to take office on New Year’s Day.

Lorenzini’s investigation solidified the claims about the miscount, attributing it to various issues in the city’s early history.

After a period under British colonial rule, New York briefly fell back under Dutch control in 1673, leaving the city without a recognized mayor. When power reverted to the British in 1674, Nichols, who had previously held the position, was reappointed.

Interestingly, during the Dutch invasion, Nichols was not serving as mayor; that role was assumed by his successor, John Lawrence. As such, Nichols actually served two nonconsecutive terms, sometimes being ranked sixth or eighth among mayors.

Lorenzini mentioned that the city’s “Green Book” doesn’t count Dutch leaders known as Burgomasters or various deputies when listing mayors, adding to the confusion.

Thus, it’s conceivable that if the previous Dutch officials were included, Mamdani could be considered the 133rd chief executive of the city. “The initial question was whether Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani should be counted as 111th or 112th, but it’s a far more intricate issue,” he remarked.

Lorenzini concluded that based on current practices of numbering, excluding acting roles, Mamdani is indeed set to be recognized as the 112th mayor come January 1, 2026.

As of now, Mamdani’s team and officials from the Ministry of Records have yet to respond to inquiries for additional comments.