Zohran Mamdani leads the race to become New York City’s next mayor. He won the Democratic primary on June 24, 2025, with nearly 43% of the vote.

He is set to become the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor.

His wife, Rama Duwaji, brings her own story into the spotlight.

Rama was born in Damascus, Syria. She later lived in Dubai, where she spent time with her family during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She moved to New York to study art and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts.

Rama works in illustration and animation. Her art often explores identity, sisterhood, and shared experiences.

She uses hand-drawn portraits and motion to tell stories.

Her work has appeared in major publications like The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and VICE.

She has also worked with brands and institutions such as Apple, Spotify, BBC, and the Tate Modern. In addition to digital work, she creates handmade ceramics and teaches workshops.

Rama met Zohran Mamdani on the dating app Hinge. They got married in early 2025 at the City Clerk’s Office in New York.

Before that, they held a small engagement and Nikkah ceremony in Dubai, where her family lives.

Mamdani kept their relationship private until online criticism pushed him to speak out. He shared wedding photos on Instagram and defended Rama’s right to be known for her own work. He said,