Zohran Mamdani’s 28-year-old wife, whom he met on a dating app, is on track to become New York City’s first Gen Z First Lady.
The 34-year-old Democratic mayoral nominee is on the verge of making history as the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest in more than a century.
Known for his unapologetically progressive platform, Mamdani has built a grassroots-powered campaign focused on affordability, pledging universal childcare, a rent freeze in subsidized units, free public bus service, and city-run grocery stores.
While the popular candidate’s rise has captured national attention, so has his wife, Rama Duwaji, whom he met on Hinge.
Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji’s love story began on Hinge. Credit: Michael M. Santiago / Getty
From Hinge Match to Political Partner
Duwaji, 28, is a Syrian-American artist born in Houston and raised in Dubai. She studied illustration at Virginia Commonwealth University and earned her master’s from New York’s School of Visual Arts.
Her work, often centered around Middle Eastern women and the Palestinian experience, has been published in The New Yorker, Vogue, the BBC, and The Cut.
She creates what she calls art “for people who care about the things I care about,” telling Yung magazine: “With so many people being pushed out and silenced by fear, all I can do is use my voice to speak out about what’s happening in the US and Palestine and Syria as much as I can.”
Mamdani met his wife in 2021 on Hinge, shortly after he was elected to the New York State Assembly. Their first date took place at Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee shop in Brooklyn, followed by a walk through McCarren Park.
The couple got engaged in October 2024, celebrated in Dubai that December, and tied the knot in a courthouse ceremony in February 2025.
When tabloids pounced on their Dubai celebration, Mamdani took control of the narrative, posting photos of their civil ceremony on Instagram and writing: “Rama isn’t just my wife, she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms.”
Low Profile
While Duwaji has shunned traditional campaign appearances and media interviews, she’s played a behind-the-scenes role in shaping Mamdani’s campaign.
According to CNN, she’s helped create its visual branding, a signature blend of Metrocard yellow, Mets blue, and firehouse red, and contributed to the final design of its typography.
She’s also been a consistent presence at key campaign moments: joining her husband at his early primary vote, on stage during his victory speech, and in the audience at a massive Forest Hills rally with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. Mamdani credits her with refining the campaign’s digital strategy.
But Duwaji has chosen to remain largely outside the public eye. Her Instagram is nearly void of any mention of Mamdani, aside from a heartfelt post on the day of his primary win: “Couldn’t possibly be prouder,” she wrote beside personal photos of the couple.
Zohran Mamdani kisses the hand of his wife Rama Duwaji. Credit: Michael M. Santiago / Getty
A Different Kind of First Lady
Should Mamdani win, Duwaji would become New York City’s first Gen Z First Lady, and she’s unlikely to fit the mold of predecessors.
Unlike Chirlane McCray or Diana Taylor, who took on prominent or traditional roles, Duwaji seems more interested in letting her art and values speak for themselves.
Trump has called Mamdani a “communist”. credit: Leon Neal / Getty
Trump Calls Mamdani A “Communist”
Mamdani’s bold politics have also drawn outrage from high places. In a recent 60 Minutes interview, President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from New York if the 34-year-old wins.
“Because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is washing the money you’re sending there,” he said.
Mamdani responded swiftly: “What we have seen in cities and states across the country is the necessity of not just using the bully pulpit but also the courts to ensure that every dollar that a municipality is owed is a dollar that is paid,” per The Independent.
The elections for the mayor of NYC will take place on November 4.
