New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani marked both “Asian” and “Black or African American” on his 2009 undergraduate application to Columbia University, according to hacked admissions data published by the New York Times on 3 July. Mamdani, now 33, was born in Uganda to Indian parents and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. He was not admitted to Columbia. Mamdani said the form offered no category for Indian-Ugandans and that he selected multiple boxes to reflect his background, adding that he considers himself “an American who was born in Africa,” not Black or African American. He said the college applications were the only occasions on which he identified that way. The disclosure has roiled the city’s already heated mayoral race. Incumbent Eric Adams called the filing “deeply offensive” and urged an investigation, while former Governor Andrew Cuomo claimed it could be “the tip of the iceberg.” Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa countered that the controversy risks turning Mamdani into a political martyr. The Times report, based on stolen records, drew fierce criticism from some progressive commentators who questioned the paper’s use of hacked material. Times editors defended the story, saying Mamdani confirmed the information. The episode has rekindled debate over race-conscious admissions policies that Columbia employed in 2009 and over how candidates’ personal histories are scrutinised in modern campaigns.