Zohran Mamdani is all set to become the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City after the 33-year-old’s opponent, Andrew Cuomo, conceded within hours of the polls closing
As Mamdani garnered the majority of the votes, his wife Rama Duwaji stood by him, supporting him.
The Indian-American lawmaker took to X to announce his victory, “In the words of Nelson Mandela: it always seems impossible until it’s done. My friends, it is done. And you are the ones who did it. I am honoured to be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City.”
While all the lenses are on Mamdani, his Syrian-born wife has also captured the headlines against the discussions over the democratic socialist’s political rise and cultural life.
When Zohran Mamdani defended wife Rama Duwaji
Duwaji, who was largely away from public life, came into the spotlight after right-wing trolls accused Mamdani of ‘hiding his wife’ from New York City.
Zohran Mamdani, however, shut down all the trolls with one Instagram post. “If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be. I usually brush it off, whether it’s death threats or calls for me to be deported. But it’s different when it’s about those you love,” the 33-year-old wrote.
The Indian-American lawmaker married the Syrian artist earlier this year at the City Clerk’s office, he clarified. Addressing the people of NYC, he said that the right-wing trolls were making the mayoral race about his wife, when in reality, it should be about the citizens.
“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,” Mamdani added.
Zohran and Rama reportedly first met on the dating platform Hinge, after which their love story took off.
Who is Rama Duwaji?
A 28-year-old Rama Duwaji is a Syrian illustrator and animator based in Brooklyn, NYC. According to her website, she uses drawn portraiture and movement to examine the nuances of sisterhood and communal experiences.
Duwaji has several notable clients, including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and the Tate Modern.
She reportedly also creates hand-built ceramics when taking a break from technology.
One of Rama Duwaji’s recent illustrations was on the ongoing hunger crisis in Gaza. She captioned it, “As I was making this, Israel has been bombing Gaza nonstop with consecutive airstrikes. Keep your eyes on Gaza.”
Following Zohran Mamdani’s win in the NYC mayoral campaign, Rama Duwaji took to Instagram and shared a few pictures of her husband and the two of them. “Couldn’t possibly be prouder,” she captioned it.
Duwaji’s posts garnered several comments, saying “My first lady”, “first lady”, “Madame First Lady of New York City”, and more.
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