Meet Rama Duwaji: The Trailblazing Gen Z First Lady Behind New York's New Mayor

Duwaji has made history as the first Generation Z member to assume the role of New York City's first lady.

After a considerable interval, Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York's mayor, will welcome a first lady once again. Rama Duwaji, the 28-year-old spouse of mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, typically avoids the limelight but stood alongside him during his victory announcement against former governor Andrew Cuomo.

As a Syrian-American artist and illustrator, Duwaji relocated to the United States in 2021 and married Mamdani in a City Hall ceremony earlier this year. American media attributes her with helping establish Mamdani's distinctive brand identity at the beginning of his campaign, including the striking iconography and typography featured on his yellow, orange, and blue campaign materials.

Beyond providing crucial personal support, she reportedly played a significant role in enhancing her husband's digital presence and substantial social media following. Nevertheless, despite her apparent behind-the-scenes contributions, Duwaji has neither appeared alongside Mamdani on television interviews nor consented to prominent magazine features.

Even on her Instagram platform, where she showcases her artwork depicting Middle Eastern women and Palestinian struggles, her connection to Mamdani is subtle, with only one carousel post from the June Democratic primary featuring them together.

With Mamdani's electoral triumph on Tuesday, Duwaji also made history by becoming the first Gen Z member to serve as New York City's first lady.

Who Is Rama Duwaji? The Dubai-educated Syrian-American resides in Brooklyn, New York. While her Instagram previously identified her as being from Damascus, campaign representatives clarify that she is "ethnically Syrian" but was born in Texas.

She connected with Mamdani several years ago through the dating application Hinge. The couple celebrated a private engagement and Nikkah ceremony in Dubai in December 2024, followed by their official wedding at the New York City Clerk's office earlier this year.

"Rama isn't just my wife; she's an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms," Mamdani expressed in a May 12 Instagram post, revealing they had married three months prior.

Duwaji holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her artistic work has been featured by prestigious publications and organizations including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and London's Tate Modern.

Through drawn portraiture and movement, she explores themes of sisterhood, Arab identity, communal experience, and political resistance, according to her website.

Her illustrations frequently convey pro-Palestinian messages, including depictions of Israeli violence, ethnic cleansing, and U.S. complicity. One of her animations, shared by Mamdani, criticizes New York charities for allegedly funding Israeli war crimes. In an interview, she quoted singer and pianist Nina Simone: "An artist's duty... is to reflect the times."

Additionally, she creates ceramic pieces, particularly hand-illustrated blue-and-white plates. Duwaji maintains a substantial Instagram following of nearly 235 thousand followers, where she shares her artwork, political commentary, and personal milestones.