Who Is Rama Duwaji? 5 Things About New York City’s New First Lady
She’s a fashionable artist and activist making her own headlines.
by Jam Nitura
Published on Jan 3, 2026
Zohran Mamdani is heralding a new era for New York. The 34-year-old is the city’s new fresh-faced, liberal mayor, already making history for his identity alone. As NYC’s first Muslim and Asian-American leader, Zohran promises a new age of inclusivity and accessibility for residents of The Big Apple.
He was sworn into office on January 2, 2026. As he took his oath over the Quran, all eyes were also on the woman holding up the holy book, his wife, Rama Duwaji, a 28-year-old artist with her own story to tell. Below, we turn our attention to New York City’s youngest first lady.
Who Is Rama Duwaji?
She’s of Syrian descent.
Rama was born in Houston, Texas on June 30, 1997, to Syrian Muslim parents who came from Damascus. She’s moved from country to country, whether at the behest of her family or the call of her studies. After spending much of her childhood in Texas, her family relocated to Dubai. Later on, she’d take up college in Qatar, before finishing her education in Richmond, Virginia, USA.
She’s a widely published visual artist.
Rama is an artist who excels in ceramics, painting, and digital art. She’s best known for her pen-and-ink portraits of Arab women and Middle Eastern life. “I focus on making art about my experiences and the things I care about,” she once said in an interview. Rama has been commissioned by top publications like Vogue, BBC News, The New Yorker, and The Cut, with the latter releasing a special feature on her last December, shortly after Zohran was elected Mayor.
She met her husband, Zohran, on Hinge.
Rama and Zohran’s love story is the stuff of modern meet-cutes—meaning they met on the dating app Hinge. The two matched in 2021, well before Zohran became a prominent political figure. Four years later, they tied the knot in 2025 with a civil wedding at the City Clerk’s office. The couple famously rode the subway during rush hour to get there, dressed in their wedding garb, wrapped under heavy winter clothes.
She played a key role in Zohran’s mayoral campaign.
Rama was criticized by media for staying in the shadows during the majority of Zohran’s campaign. In a period where most candidates paraded their spouses to show their admirable family values, Rama was scarcely seen out with her husband. What they didn’t know was that Rama was simply working behind the scenes, influencing the look and feel of Zohran’s brand identity, along with his iconography and other campaign materials.
In a post addressing the issue, Zohran explained that he wanted to keep all social media vitriol away from his family. "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.... You can critique my views, but not my family."
She uses fashion to make a statement.
Her The Cut article describes her relationship with clothes as “an extension of her art and politics.” Rama says she’s intentional about her way of dressing, often taking it as an opportunity to send a message. During the general elections, she wore a top by a Palestinian designer in honor of the war-torn nation. Rama’s also big on thrifting and has curated a personal list of the best 50 stores to shop at in the tristate area, all saved in a Google Maps folder.
