Everything to know about the future first lady of NYC

NEW YORK - For the first time in years, New York City will have a first lady — a largely undefined role in modern city politics, shaped more by absence than precedent.

At 28, Duwaji is set to become the first Gen Z-er and the first Muslim to serve as first lady of New York City, a position that has not been consistently occupied in decades. 

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Why you should care:

Come January 2026, that title will belong to Rama Duwaji, an animator, illustrator and ceramist who has spent most of her adult life deliberately outside the spotlight, even as her husband, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, has built a political career rooted in visibility, public affection and relentless retail politics.

Big picture view:

Former mayors Michael Bloomberg and Ed Koch were unmarried during their tenures, and Mayor Eric Adams is single. There is little to no modern blueprint for the role she is about to inherit besides former first lady Chirlane McCray, who has been described as former mayor Bill de Blasio's "closest advisor."

And if Duwaji has her way, she may help redefine it, largely on her own terms.

A series of firsts

• Youngest first lady in New York City history: At 28, Duwaji will be the youngest person to hold the title.
• Only the second first lady since 2001: The role has been largely absent in modern city politics, with long stretches led by unmarried mayors.
• First Gen Z first lady: Her age places her in a generation rarely represented in top municipal leadership roles.
• First Muslim first lady of New York City: A historic milestone in a city defined by its diversity.

Who is Rama Duwaji?

Family, education, career:

Rama Sawaf Duwaji, 28, was born in Houston, Texas, to Syrian Muslim parents from Damascus; her father is a software developer and her mother is a doctor. 

She spent her childhood moving between Texas, Brooklyn and Dubai, relocating to the Middle East around age 9. 

From an early age, she gravitated toward drawing, often sketching in class and using art as a form of comfort and expression. 

Duwaji began her higher education at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar before transferring to VCU’s main campus in Richmond, Virginia, to complete her undergraduate studies. 

In 2024, she earned a master of fine arts in illustration as visual essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

How did Rama and Mamdani meet?

Duwaji and Mamdani met on the dating app Hinge in 2021, when he was serving in the New York State Assembly. 

They became engaged in Oct. 2024 and held a private nikah ceremony two months later. 

According to the Mamdani campaign, they celebrated their engagement with a small family gathering in Dubai, where Duwaji’s family lives, before having a civil ceremony in New York City. 

The couple married quietly in Feb. 2025 in a civil ceremony at New York City Hall, with a close friend serving as their only witness.

In July, they held a wedding celebration in Uganda, Mamdani’s birth country. Friends who attended were given one rule: no phones.

Rama in the spotlight

Despite intense public curiosity following Mamdani’s victory in the 2025 mayoral election, relatively little is known about Duwaji by design. 

Prior to the election win in October, she declined all press after the primary, including an interview for a New York Times article, explaining that the attention was new to her. 

Mamdani’s campaign declined to comment at the time on her decision not to participate in public election events or what her role might look like should he win.

That distance from public life stands in contrast to Mamdani’s political persona. 

The mayor-elect is widely described as affectionate, accessible and deeply protective of his wife, even as he embraces the demands of campaigning and governance.

Duwaji, by contrast, has managed to remain largely silent.

What does Rama do for a living?

Duwaji’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post and at institutions including the BBC, Apple and Tate Modern. 

Her illustrations often depict intimate scenes of Middle Eastern life, layered with themes of displacement with social and political commentary.

One of her most widely recognized projects dates back to 2020, when she illustrated the animated music video for Egyptian American rapper Felukah’s song "I Won’t Wait." The piece blended fluid animation with political undertones.

"I believe everyone has a responsibility to speak out against injustice," she told Yung, a magazine based in the Middle East and Africa, in an April interview. "And art has such an ability to spread it."

Political stance

While she seems to avoids the press, Duwaji does speak publicly through her own platforms. 

In August, following Israeli strikes that killed Anas al-Sharif, a 28-year-old Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist in Gaza, she shared an animation on Instagram featuring a metal chain encircling a quote: "I urge you to not let chains silence you or borders hold you back." The post ended with a Palestinian flag and the words "end the genocide."

Her work has also addressed humanitarian crises in Sudan and Lebanon.

When does Rama become first lady?

Mamdani will be inaugurated on January 1, 2026, succeeding Mayor Eric Adams.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place on the steps of City Hall at 1 p.m. 

Attorney General Letitia James will administer the oath of office to the mayor-elect at midnight on Jan. 1, joined by Mamdani’s family. 

Later that day, Sen. Bernie Sanders will swear in the mayor-elect during a public inauguration ceremony that will be open to all New Yorkers, according to Mamdani's transition team.

Rama and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani are expected to move into Gracie Mansion sometime after the inauguration. 

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