Who is Zohran Mamdani's wife Rama Duwaji?
What's the story
Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, could be moving to Gracie Mansion if her husband wins the election few months down the road. The 27-year-old artist has largely stayed away from the campaign trail since Mamdani's candidacy announcement last October but she made a rare appearance with him after his victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier this week. Here's all we know about her.
Artist profile
She is a pro-Palestinian artist
Duwaji is a Brooklyn-based Syrian artist, who has worked with prominent clients like The New Yorker and BBC. Her work often features pro-Palestinian themes and Arab female identity. One of her animations highlights how New York charities allegedly fund Israeli actions against Palestinians. She met Mamdani on the dating app Hinge several years ago. During Mamdani's campaign, their dreamy wedding photos in the NYC subway had taken over social media.
Personal details
Educational background
Duwaji is ethnically Syrian but was born in Texas, according to a campaign spokeswoman. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts. Her work explores themes of sisterhood and communal experiences through drawn portraiture and movement, and you are bound to feel a gush of warm breeze when you open up her aesthetically pleasing website.
Campaign update
Mamdani defeated Cuomo
Mamdani (33) recently won 43.41% of the votes in a ranked-choice ballot, defeating Cuomo who got 36.42%. He will now face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa in November. If elected, Mamdani would be NYC's youngest mayor since 1914 and the first Muslim mayor. For the unversed, Mamdani has Indian origins and is the son of famous filmmaker Mira Nair.