Socialist NYC mayoral contender Zohran Kwame Mamdani confirmed his marriage to Syrian artist Rama Duwaji. According to the New York Post, the couple held their engagement ceremony on the rooftop of the scenic Vida Creek Harbour in Dubai in December 2024. They later had a civil wedding at the City Clerk's office in New York City earlier this year.
Sharing photos from their wedding on Instagram, Mamdani wrote, "If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be. I usually brush it off, whether it's death threats or a call for me to be deported. But it's different when it's about those you love.
“Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, a the City Clerk's office. 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,” he added.
In a statement to Interview Magazine, Mamdani called the City Clerk's office his “favorite building in New York,” saying, "The outside is just so beautiful and reminiscent of a different New York City, and the inside is in many ways public goods personified. 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.”
{{/usCountry}}In a statement to Interview Magazine, Mamdani called the City Clerk's office his “favorite building in New York,” saying, "The outside is just so beautiful and reminiscent of a different New York City, and the inside is in many ways public goods personified. 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.”
{{/usCountry}}The Mamdani campaign also issued a statement to the NY Post, saying, “Before their civil ceremony in New York City, Zohran and his wife celebrated their engagement in Dubai last year—where her family lives—with a small, joyful ceremony surrounded by their loved ones.”
Mamdani's public post came after a wave of online accusations that he was “hiding his wife."
Who is Rama Duwaji?
Rama Duwaji is a Syrian artist based in Brooklyn. Her illustrations have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and VICE. The 27-year-old holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts. In a past interview with YUNG, Duwaji shared that she spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic living with her family in Dubai.