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Zohran Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, skipped her husband's NYC mayoral debate to teach a ceramics class in Brooklyn. Mamdani faced his fellow mayoral candidates, including Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, in a fierce debate ahead of the elections in November.
On Thursday, October 16, Rama Duwaji was spotted attending and teaching at a ceramic tile design class at a Levantine bistro in East Williamsburg. Photos for the same were sourced by the NY Post. The workshop had a $95 ticket and was held between 5 pm to 7:30 pm, which is an hour after Zohran Mamdani's mayoral debate began.
Duwaji was scheduled to teach the Thursday event of the four-week workshop ahead of the scheduling of the NYC debate, according to the bistro's Instagram page. It is unclear how early on the event was planned compared to Zohran Mamdani's NYC debate.
Rama Duwaji, 27, is a Texas-born artist of Syrian origin who works as an illustrator and ceramist. Her recent works of illustration were published in the New York Magazine. Duwaji first met Zohran Mamdani through the dating app, Hindi, in 2021. After dating for around four years, the two tied the knot in July this year.
Zohran Mamdani thanked his wife Rama Duwaji following his victory in NYC mayoral polls
In June this year, Zohran Mamdani beat Andrew Cuomo in the ranked-choice ballot with 43.41% votes, while the latter secured 36.42%. The mayoral elections for NYC are due in November, with Mamdani being one of the key candidates.
Shortly after his victory, Mamdani thanked his wife, Rama Duwaji, for being by his side during this journey. He kissed her hand on stage, accompanied by cheers, and said:
"I must thank my incredible wife. Rama, thank you."
Following Zohran Mamdani's victory, Rama Duwaji also congratulated her husband on Instagram, writing she "couldn't possibly be prouder". The artist notably has over 85K followers on Instagram and holds a master's in fine arts from the School of Visual Arts. Duwaji has been working as an illustrator and animator in Brooklyn for several years and has been published in prestigious papers such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and the Tate Modern Gallery.
Hailing from Syria, a lot of Duwaji's art focuses on alleged pro-Palestine themes, Arab women, female identity, and also depicts various forms of resistance. According to her website, she "examines the nuances of sisterhood and communal experiences" using "drawn portraiture and movement."
After initially meeting on Hinge, Rama Duwaji and Zohran Mamdani reportedly held a secret "Nikkah" and engagement in Dubai, ahead of their July wedding. The couple currently resides in a rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria, Queens. A spokesperson from Mamdani's campaign said:
"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."
Ahead of the NYC mayoral elections in November, Mamdani took the stage alongside fellow candidates Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Silwa at the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. They discussed multiple pressing issues, including the Trump administration and the Israel-Palestine situation.
If Mamdani wins, he could become the youngest mayor of New York City since 1914. He could also be the first Muslim and Indian origin mayor of the Big Apple.
