From hinge to marriage: Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji's story

In the top up to the young house of york metropolis mayoral elections, Zohran Mamdani has been pulling all stops to beef up his campaign.

Mamdani, who has maintained a consistent lead in comparison to rival candidates, has become a strong political figure owing to his social media presence, his direct approach to voters and witty replies on public forums. His victory over Andrew Cuomo on ‘The Tucker Carlson Show in June earlier this year further earned praised from several quarters, including Trump allies.

However, apart from Mamdani's political career, his personal life has also grabbed attention, with his marriage to Syrian-American artist, Rama Duwaji often being in the spotlight. The couples has witnessed both trolling and immense support on social media.

27-year-old Duwaji, whose multimedia work often centers on pro-Palestinian themes, had also joined Mamdani for the celebrations as he clinched the Democratic nomination over former governor Andrew Cuomo. ““I must thank my incredible wife. Rama, thank you,” Mamdani said, pausing his speech to kiss her hand.

A Brooklyn-based illustrator, has worked with some of the world’s most prominent institutions, including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, the BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and London’s Tate Modern, Associated Press reported.

Mamdani earlier this year defended Duwaji as trolls accused him of “hiding” his wife. Shutting down their remarks, Mamdani said, “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.”

Mamdani and Duwaji hosted an engagement and wedding ceremony in Dubai in December last year, followed by a civil ceremony in New York City. The couple celebrated thir nuptials with a lavish, three-day bash in Mamdani's Uganda estate in July, the New York Post reported.

The couple shared a photo set from their civil wedding, with one of them showing Duwaji in a simple white dress and boots and holding a bouquet as she and Mamdani stood smiling in a train car.

In a June 22 Instagram video shared by YouTuber and content creator Kaneez Surka, shared how he met his wife and advised people to be intentional about finding love.

Answering a question on how he would “help single people …find love”, Mamdani said, “First is, I found my wife on Hinge. So (dating apps) still work. Just to let people know.”

The NYC mayoral candidate further highlighted the need to “give people more time in their lives.”

“A lot of people, a lot of New Yorkers are basically on a hamster wheel of anxiety. There is not much time to sit in the park. There is not much time to explore your own city, if you are always worried about if you have enough money to make your rent... So the love of your life, may currently be too stressed about whether they can afford the most expensive city in the United States to find you.. Affordability is about the romance,” Mamdani said.

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