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The election triumph of Zohran Mamdani in November 2025 catapulted him and his family into the public eye. This newfound fame was particularly evident in the case of his wife, Rama Duwaji, who saw a surge of over 500,000 followers on Instagram within just two days of her husband’s success. Duwaji, a Syrian-American artist, quickly became an online sensation, largely due to her distinctive style. Her youthful Gen Z perspective contrasts with Mamdani’s Millennial outlook, adding to their allure.
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Zohran Mamdani’s historic election win in November 2025 threw him and his family into the spotlight. Interest in Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, skyrocketed, evidenced by the more than 500,000 new Instagram followers she gained in the 48 hours following her husband’s victory. The Syrian-American illustrator became an internet sensation overnight, partly thanks to her style. After all, Duwaji is Gen Z, while Mamdani is Millennial.
Inspired by the couple’s story, many took to social media to share their own relationship journeys. One Reddit user recounted a serendipitous connection: “Met my husband on freaking CRAIGSLIST in 2008. It’s a wonder both of us lived to tell this tale. (We are still married, v. happy),” they revealed. Others chimed in with similar tales, such as meeting partners on Tinder in 2014, acknowledging their shared good fortune with humor. Clearly, the generational difference between Mamdani and Duwaji has not hindered their relationship.
Curiously, Duwaji’s Instagram doesn’t prominently feature her connection to Zohran Mamdani. Just two days post-election, she shared a simple animation of New York City’s skyline, captioned, “So proud to be a part of this city.” This understated post was her only nod to the significant event.
Rama Duwaji prefers to help from the sidelines
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Social media users would have to dig pretty deep to find evidence that she’s married to Zohran Mamdani from her Instagram page. Two days after the elections, she posted an animation of the New York City skyline with the caption, “So proud to be a part of this city.” And that was it.
The only other evidence that she had a husband running for mayor came on the day of the Democratic primaries in June 2025. “Couldn’t possibly be prouder,” she captioned an Instagram carousel featuring Mamdani. Even when Mamdani proved to be a popular contender, his wife largely stayed away from campaign events and interviews. But her low public profile doesn’t mean she isn’t involved in Mamdani’s political trajectory. She knew very well what she was getting into when she married him in February 2025, according to CNN.
Duwaji is said to have helped with Mamdani’s highly successful campaign design. Created by the Philadelphia graphic designer Aneesh Bhoopathy, she reportedly helped shape the campaign’s brand identity, as well as its font and iconography. However, Mamdani previously showed that he wants to protect Duwaji as much as possible. “You can critique my views, but not my family,” he wrote in a May 2025 Instagram post. Whether she will step away from the spotlight like Melania Trump or will embrace her role as first lady of New York City remains to be seen.
