New York City has a new mayor-elect, and with him comes a new first lady for the city that never sleeps.
On Tuesday, voters elected Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, as the next mayor, according to network projections. He appeared in Queens earlier in the day to vote alongside his wife, Rama Duwaji.
Why It Matters
Unlike the first lady of the United States, the New York City mayor’s spouse does not typically play an active role in city leadership. However, they often come under public scrutiny in the run-up to the election. For Mamdani, his newcomer status — as well as his Muslim faith — has meant extra attention has been paid to his marriage.
What We Know About Rama Duwaji
Duwaji, 28, is a Syrian-American illustrator and animator based in Brooklyn. Her Instagram page shows her artwork and things that inspire her in New York City and around the world but little personal information.
Born in Houston, Texas, Duwaji moved to Dubai when she was 9 years old, according to CNN. She attended college at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar before moving back to the United States to complete her degrees in Richmond and then New York.
On her website, Duwaji says her work has appeared on the BBC, as well as in The New Yorker and Vogue. While mostly working with digital media, she also makes ceramics. Her artwork often carries a strong political message, including criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and reflections on other crises in the Middle East.
“These days, I focus on making art about my experiences and the things I care about, and the community that forms from conversations about my work — both online and in person — happens organically,” Duwaji told YUNG magazine in April. “I make my work for people who care about the things I care about.”
Perhaps her most famous work is Mamdani’s campaign logo and branding. A distinct yellow “Zohran” with a red drop shadow, set against a Democratic blue background, has become instantly recognizable to New Yorkers in recent months.
How Did Zohran and Rama Duwaji Meet?
Duwaji and Mamdani met on the dating app Hinge in 2021, not long after he was elected to the New York State Assembly. The pair married at New York City Hall earlier this year. Photographer Kara McCurdy, who has been in Mamdani’s circle since his State Assembly campaign, took their wedding photos.
“I’ve known he was going to marry Rama for years, and I was there, at the city clerk’s office with them when it happened,” McCurdy wrote in a May 20 post on her website. “The three of us took the subway from Astoria to City Hall on a rainy day a few months back, and I got to celebrate two of my favorite people officially tying the knot.”
Mamdani shared some of the wedding photos on his Instagram page in May in response to negative press and online trolls targeting his wife during his mayoral campaign.
“Rama isn’t just my wife, she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family,” Mamdani wrote.
While Duwaji has remained mostly behind the scenes of Mamdani’s campaign, she shared a post captioned “Couldn’t possibly be prouder” with photos of the two of them, along with other media from the campaign trail.
Does Zohran Mamdani Have Kids?
The pair do not have children. Mamdani swatted away a recent question on the matter, saying: “I feel like I’m talking to my mother.” He told reporters he was focused on the campaign.
With Mamdani now mayor-elect of the nation’s largest city, it remains to be seen kind of role Duwaji will take as the city’s first lady.