Despite Donald Trump‘s threat, New York City voters have elected Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor. With this, his wife Rama Duwaji has found herself in a sudden surge of limelight. Curiosity grew about her even since Mamdani joined the race against Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent runner Andrew Cuomo. However, now people are more eager to know about her than ever.
Rama is an artist and animator who got her work published in The New York Times, Vice, The Washington Post, and London’s Tate Modern museum. She is 27, and the first Gen-Z first lady of NYC. Duwaji is of Syrian origin and was born in Houston, Texas. Her work often embodies her ancestry, focusing on Middle Eastern themes.
Meet New York’s First Lady — Rama Duwaji. An artist, storyteller, and the creative force behind Zohran Mamdani’s vibrant campaign identity. From Houston to New York, her journey tells a story of art, roots, and reinvention. But who really is Rama Duwaji, the woman shaping colours… pic.twitter.com/HUCHdNqBDt
— Mojo Story (@themojostory) November 5, 2025
Rama Duwaji‘s father is a computer engineer, and her mother is a doctor. It has been revealed that she moved to Dubai, along with her family, when she was nine. Before the move, they all used to spend their summers in Damascus. The 27-year-old artist pursued a master’s degree in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City after completing her bachelor’s from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Many people are curious to know what her net worth could be. According to the Irish Star, Duwaji has been earning $50,000-$100,000 a year in art commissions, while her brand and editorial projects bring in another $50,000-$80,000. In addition, she also earns a good $10,000-$30,000 from her workshops. And a $20,000-$40,000 comes in from her ceramics and retail art. So, that puts her in an estimated $200,000-$400,000 net worth region.
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While Duwaji proudly embraces her ethnic origins, she also likes to refer to herself as “an all-American girl.” However, initially, she admitted to denying the “Syrian part of me.” In 2019, Rama revealed during Tavan Studio in Conversation,” [I] used to tell people that I was American when I was like nine, or like 12, maybe, -ish, because it was like a very cool thing.”
Yes, she does like to call herself an “American girl.” However, at the same time, she criticizes the “American imperialism” in her artwork. Like her husband, Mamdani, Duwaji has never been a Trump supporter. Instead, when she was asked her opinions on the POTUS’s return to the White House, immigration crackdown, and the heated political climate in the Middle East, Rama said, “I’m not going to lie, things are dark right now in NYC.”
“I worry for my friends and family, and things feel completely out of my hands. With so many people being pushed out and silenced by fear, all I can do is use my voice to speak out about what’s happening in the US and Palestine and Syria as much as I can,“ she told YUNG in April.
This vocal artist met her soul mate through Hinge, a popular dating app. In February 2025, Zohran and Rama finally tied the knot in New York. With all eyes on the pair now, people are inquisitive to witness if they could be the next power couple of politics.
