Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist shaking up New York City’s mayoral race, isn’t just making headlines for his progressive policies, he’s also drawn attention for his marriage to Syrian artist Rama Duwaji. Their love story is a blend of quiet intimacy, political scrutiny, and cultural richness, offering a glimpse into the personal life of a man who could soon lead America’s biggest city.
The couple’s relationship stayed under the radar until right-wing critics tried to weaponize it. In early 2025, Mamdani was forced to address his marriage publicly after online trolls accused him of “hiding” his wife. His response? A heartfelt Instagram post featuring photos from their civil ceremony at New York City’s clerk’s office. “Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama,” he wrote, shutting down the noise with a mix of defiance and tenderness. “She’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms.” The images, simple, elegant, and undeniably romantic, quickly went viral, landing on Pinterest boards and wedding inspo feeds everywhere.
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But the story doesn’t start there. Months before their City Hall paperwork, Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji celebrated their engagement and Islamic marriage contract (Nikkah) in Dubai, where her family lives. The December 2024 ceremony took place on a rooftop overlooking the Burj Khalifa, bathed in soft lighting and minimalist florals. Despite critics framing it as an “extravagant” affair, the venue’s wedding packages started at just $72 per person, hardly the stuff of socialist hypocrisy. For Mamdani, it was a deeply personal moment, blending his Ugandan-Indian roots with Duwaji’s Syrian heritage in a city that bridges East and West.
Who Is Rama Duwaji?
Rama Duwaji isn’t just “the candidate’s wife”—she’s a Brooklyn-based illustrator whose work has graced The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and VICE. Her art often explores themes of displacement and identity, reflecting her own background as a Syrian who spent much of the pandemic in Dubai with her family. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts, where tuition runs about $29,000 a semester, a detail that, like her husband’s Ivy-adjacent upbringing, has fueled some ironic commentary given Mamdani’s anti-elitist platform.
Duwaji’s faith hasn’t been a focal point in the media, but her cultural background certainly has. As a Syrian artist in post-9/11 America, her pro-Palestine illustrations have made her a target for the same right-wing attacks that dog her husband. When trolls dug up her work, Mamdani fired back: “You can critique my views, but not my family.” It’s a line that underlines how their marriage exists at the intersection of love and politics, a relationship scrutinized not just for who they are, but for what they represent.
Behind the scenes, Duwaji has influenced Mamdani in subtle ways, from his style (she gifted him a Casio watch and a handmade ring he now wears daily) to his public persona. In interviews, he’s called the City Clerk’s office his “favorite building in New York,” praising its egalitarian vibe: “All these New Yorkers getting married at the same time, at different ages and stages of life—it’s public goods personified.” That sentiment, romantic and political in equal measure, feels like a metaphor for their relationship.
A Marriage Under the Microscope
For a couple who clearly values privacy, Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji have found themselves in an unwelcome spotlight. The backlash over their Dubai ceremony, framed by critics as a “luxury” contradiction to Mamdani’s socialist ideals, ignored the fact that Duwaji’s family lives there. The couple’s defenders argue that celebrating with loved ones isn’t a scandal; it’s basic humanity. Still, the episode highlights the double standard faced by progressive politicians, whose personal lives are often picked apart for gotcha moments.
The scrutiny has only intensified as Mamdani’s mayoral campaign gains steam. Polls show him in second place behind Andrew Cuomo, with endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez boosting his credibility. But as his profile rises, so does the interest in his marriage, a dynamic that frustrates Mamdani, who’d rather the race stay focused on policy. “This should be about you,” he told New Yorkers in his Instagram post, redirecting the conversation back to housing, transit, and economic justice.
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Yet there’s something undeniably compelling about their story. Zohran Mamdani, the Ugandan-Indian rapper-turned-politician, and Rama Duwaji, the Syrian artist with a quiet but fierce presence, embody a New York love story: one shaped by diaspora, activism, and an unapologetic belief in a better future. Whether they’re signing a marriage contract in Dubai or posing for photos at City Hall, their relationship feels like a rebuke to the divisiveness of modern politics. In a city (and a world) hungry for hope, that might be their most powerful message of all.
