Zohran Mamdani secured a remarkable victory in the recent New York City Mayoral election by garnering over a million votes. At 34 years old, Mamdani is not only the youngest mayor in the city’s history but also the first Muslim and South Asian to hold this prestigious position.
Set to assume office in January, Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, an accomplished illustrator, is poised to become the city’s inaugural Gen Z First Lady at the age of 28. Raised in Dubai after being born in Houston and of Syrian-American descent, Rama joined her husband on stage at Brooklyn’s Paramount Theatre following his win, radiating elegance in a black lace dress and sporting a hairstyle reminiscent of the iconic Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn.
Their love story began on the dating app Hinge in 2021, culminating in their engagement in October 2024 and a Nikkah ceremony in Dubai in December of the same year. Subsequently, they had their civil ceremony at Lower Manhattan’s City Hall in February.
Mamdani, the son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, known for her award-winning films including the Academy Award-nominated “Salaam Bombay,” hails from a family of notable backgrounds. Conversely, Duwaji’s upbringing in Dubai, where she moved at the age of nine, was marked by her mother’s profession as a doctor and her father’s career as a software developer.
Having graduated from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, Duwaji relocated to New York in 2021 after meeting Mamdani. Her Instagram showcases her Arab heritage and features her black and white illustrations.
The couple is expected to reside at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor, next year. Dating back to 1799, Gracie Mansion stands as one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in Manhattan.
As a Democratic Socialist, Mamdani vows to implement policies such as free bus services, rent freezes, reduced police presence, and increased taxes for the affluent and large corporations. During his victory speech in Brooklyn, Mamdani proudly proclaimed, “I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
In a direct message to former President Trump, Mamdani urged him to “turn the volume up,” asserting that New York City, as the birthplace of Trump, could lead the nation in combating his influence. Mamdani’s passionate address resonated with the crowd, eliciting enthusiastic cheers in celebration of his historic triumph.