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?
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