New York City’s ‘First Lady’ Emerges From Art World to Political Spotlight
NEW YORK, NY – Rama Duwaji, the wife of newly elected New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, is stepping into the public eye as the city’s “first lady.” While Mamdani’s historic win has garnered headlines, Duwaji’s background as an artist and her perspective on the intersection of art and politics are now attracting attention.
Duwaji, who married Mamdani in February 2024, is a visual artist whose work explores themes of identity, displacement, and belonging. She believes art is “intrinsically political in the way it is made,founded and shared,” though she doesn’t believe everyone needs to engage in customary political work. Her journey to becoming a public figure is a unique one, beginning with a chance encounter on the dating app Hinge in 2021 while both were living in New York.
The couple’s relationship blossomed quickly. Mamdani, then a little-known deputy, playfully noted in a podcast with The Bulwark that “there is still hope in these applications.” They announced their engagement in October 2024 and held a civil ceremony at the Manhattan Marriage Agency,followed by a larger party in Mamdani’s homeland of Uganda months later. Mamdani publicly celebrated their union on Instagram,referring to Duwaji as “Light of my life.”
A charming detail of their marriage: the couple traveled by train from their home in Astoria, Queens, to City Hall for their civil ceremony, documented by photographer and friend Kara McCurdy. mccurdy shared, “I knew that [mamdani] was going to marry Rama years ago…The three of us took the train from Astoria to City Hall on a rainy day a few months ago, and I got to celebrate two of my favorite people finally tying the knot.”
Friends have described duwaji as a “modern-day Princess Diana,” while acknowledging her simultaneous excitement and overwhelm with the increased public scrutiny. Mamdani himself dedicated his electoral victory to his “amazing wife, Rama, vital” - the Arabic word for “my life” – stating there was no one he’d rather have by his side.
As Mamdani begins his term, Duwaji’s influence and how she chooses to navigate her new role as a public figure will undoubtedly be closely watched.
