Colour palette to brand identity: How Rama Duwaji's ‘silent’ support steered Zohran Mamdani's campaign

While Mamdani captured global attention with a massive victory, Rama Duwaji, who, despite being invisible during the campaign, remained a significant force.

Zohran Mamdani has scripted history in American politics after becoming the first India-origin, African-born, and the youngest to have become the New York Governor in an election, that was keenly watched across the globe.

New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (R) celebrates alongside his wife Rama Duwaji (L) during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York. (AFP)

The race for the New York's mayoral post was not just restrained between Mamdani and his opponents, former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa — it was overshadowed with criticism of the Democratic nominee from top leaders, including Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

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While Mamdani captured global attention with a massive win, his 28-year-old wife, Rama Duwaji, who, despite being invisible during the campaign, remained a significant force behind the scenes.

Duwaji, an artist by profession, was born to a family of Syrian descent in Houston, Texas. Her family moved to Dubai, where she got her education.

is being credited with being behind Mamdani's campaign, from deciding his brand identity to the social media campaign and overall digital presence.

Quiet support behind loud campaign

Rama Duwaji, who moved back to New York only four years ago, met Mamdani in 2021 on the dating app Hinge. When the two announced their engagement in October last year, Mamdani had already launched his campaign for the mayoral polls, CNN reported. Months later, the two got married in March this year.

Duwaji has helped finalise the campaign’s brand identity, including the minor details like the campaign’s iconography, font and choice of colours.

According to the CNN report, the combination of orange-yellow, blue for backgrounds, and the use of firehouse red was her idea.

Though she was absent during Mamdani's debates, campaign events and had little social media presence, she remained the force behind her husband’s digital and social media presence.

In the year that he campaigned for mayor, she remained a major source of support, even if he fell asleep on the couch as they watched “Temptation Island” and the “Mission Impossible” series.

Little social media presence

Though Duwaji made her Instagram account back in 2018, she started posting about Mamdani's campaign in June, when he clinched victory in the Democratic nomination.

Her social media feeds are filled with her ceramic and illustration work, often expressing solidarity with Palestine. She currently has around 2.5 lakh followers on the social media platform.

Ever since Mamdani began his campaign, Duwaji hasn’t done a joint television appearance. She was spotted among over 10,000 during Mamdani's rally speech at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.

Following Mamdani's win, she has become the first member of Gen Z to serve as New York City’s first lady. However, it is yet to be seen what official role Duwaji would have in the New York Mayor's office.