Zohran Mamdani has secured the Democratic candidacy for New York City mayor on June 24. If elected during the general election in November, he would become the city’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor.
“We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford. A city where they can do more than just struggle. One where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day,” he said in a victory speech on Wednesday, according to Newsweek.
At 33, Mamdani would also become the youngest mayor of New York City. Being a millennial is something he has brought forward in his campaign, as he used social media to spread the word about his candidacy and has been candid about meeting his wife on a dating app.
Zohran Mamdani met his wife on Hinge
The Democratic mayoral candidate met his wife, Rama Duwaji, on the dating app Hinge. Mamdani shared this personal piece of information on The Bulwark podcast last week, saying that “there is still hope in those dating apps,” according to Cosmopolitan.
Mamdani and Duwaji got married in a civil ceremony at the New York City clerk’s office this year.
“The outside is just so beautiful and reminiscent of a different New York City, and the inside is in many ways public goods personified,” he told Interview Magazine. “All of these New Yorkers getting married at the same time at different ages and at different times in their lives, it’s very beautiful.”
After he started receiving criticism about his relationship by politicians during the campaign, Mamdani came to his wife’s defense on social media.
“Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, at the City Clerk’s office,” he captioned his Instagram post. “Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race—which should be about you—about her. Rama isn’t just my wife, she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family.”
Who is Rama Duwaji?
Duwaji is a 27-year-old artist based in Brooklyn. Originally from Damascus, Syria, she works as an animator and illustrator. Duwaji also creates ceramics and illustrated plates. She uses “portraiture and movement” to “examine the nuances of sisterhood and communal experiences,” according to her website. She has worked with companies and institutions like The New Yorker, Spotify and the Tate Modern.
