When Zohran Mamdani was declared the next mayor of New York City on Tuesday night, history was made — twice. Mamdani became the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in more than a century. Standing beside him, smiling as the crowd roared, was his wife, 28-year-old artist Rama Duwaji, who is quietly making history of her own.
While Mamdani’s political rise has dominated headlines, his love story with Rama feels more like something out of an indie film — one that begins not in City Hall, but on a dating app.
A Match Made on Hinge
The couple first connected on Hinge in 2021, shortly after Mamdani was elected to the New York State Assembly. Rama, a Syrian-American illustrator based in Brooklyn, wasn’t following New York politics. Their first date was simple: coffee at Qahwah House, a cozy Yemeni café, followed by a walk through McCarren Park. On their second, Mamdani took her on a tour of his Astoria district — the same neighborhood that would later help make him mayor.
By October 2024, the two were engaged. “Couldn’t possibly be prouder,” Rama wrote on Instagram, sharing photos of the couple alongside a childhood snapshot of Mamdani.
Just days after announcing their engagement, Mamdani launched his mayoral campaign. The couple celebrated their nikah and engagement party that December in Dubai, on a rooftop overlooking the Burj Khalifa. “This engagement and Nikkah were more than an event — it was a floral installation set against Dubai’s dusky skyline,” the event designer, LMF Dubai, posted.
A City Hall Love Story
Two months later, in February 2025, they made it official at a civil ceremony in the City Clerk’s Office in Lower Manhattan. Mamdani later shared photos from that day, including a now-iconic black-and-white shot of the pair riding the subway at Union Square. Rama wore a white dress with black boots, holding a bouquet as commuters sat unaware that they were sharing a train with New York’s future first couple.
“Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, at the City Clerk’s office,” Mamdani wrote. “Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race — which should be about you — about her. 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.”
Who Is Rama Duwaji?
Related Posts
Two Hours Before Brain Surgery, My Husband Handed Me Divorce Papers and Claimed My Best Friend’s Baby Was His. Certain My Condo, Cards, and Fortune Were Already His, He Walked Away Smiling. I Signed and Made One Call… By Morning, His Cards Had Failed—and My Attorney Was Holding a File That Changed Everything.
Part 1 of 3The Papers on My Blanket Two hours before surgeons were scheduled to remove a growth from my brain, my husband walked into my hospital room...
I Married a Wealthy 74-Year-Old Man So My 10-Year-Old Daughter Could Have a Better Life. Then I Saw Him Secretly Giving Her Money—and One Midnight I Heard Him Whisper, “Quickly, Before Your Mom Comes Down.” I Rushed Into the Living Room, but What They Were Hiding Was Nothing Like I Feared
Part 1 of 3 I Married a 74-Year-Old Man to Give My Daughter a Better Life When Everett Langston asked me to marry him, I was thirty-six years...
My 9-Year-Old Daughter Called and Whispered, “Dad, I Can’t Hold the Baby Anymore.” I Raced Home and Found Her Exhausted on the Kitchen Floor With Her 8-Month-Old Brother Strapped to Her Chest. Then My Wife’s Hidden Phone Buzzed With a Message About $62,400 and Friday—and I Realized She Had Never Left for a Simple Errand.
Part 1 of 3 The Call That Changed the Shape of Our Family I was standing on the unfinished roof of a new house outside Fort Collins, Colorado,...
My Sister-in-Law and Her Two Kids Had Been Living in My House Rent-Free for Six Weeks When She Casually Announced, “We’ll Need Another Month.” Before I Could Answer, My Husband Said, “Of Course. Family Comes First.” Then Our Five-Year-Old Looked Up From Dinner and Asked, “Daddy, Is That Why Auntie Keeps Hiding Mommy’s Mail in Her Suitcase?” When I Opened That Suitcase, I Finally Understood Why They Needed 30 More Days in My House
Part 1 of 3 The Dinner That Changed Everything My sister-in-law had been living in my house with her two children for forty-one days when she casually announced...
At 1:47 A.M., My Son Texted, “Stay Away From Your Grandson’s Fourth Birthday—My Mother-in-Law Says You Make People Uncomfortable.” I Replied, “I Understand.” He Had Forgotten Who Bought the Alder Hill Mansion, Rescued His Business, and Protected Every Secret He Called Success—But the Gray File My Attorney Opened Before Sunrise Revealed One Betrayal I Could No Longer Ignore
Part 1 of 3The Message at 1:47 A.M. At 1:47 on a sleeting February morning, my phone lit up beside a cup of tea I had forgotten to...