Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s Marriage Isn’t up for Debate

New York politician Zohran Mamdani's 2025 race to become the city's next mayor hasn't been easy. The Democratic socialist has admittedly received harsh critiques from his right-wing naysayers. Still, after being endorsed by two of the U.S.'s biggest progressive leaders, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Zohran moved forward with his plan to bring change to the city via free city buses and rent-stabilized housing.

While the Ugandan native knew his initiatives would ruffle a few feathers, he's up for the challenge. However, Zohran doesn't tolerate any attacks on his marriage, attacks that surfaced soon after his mayoral run began.

As a millennial politician, it was only right that Zohran, born in 1991, attempted to keep his love life off the 'gram. However, the naturally private New York State Assembly member quickly discovered that wasn't possible as he became more visible. In April 2025, Zohran revealed to Interview Magazine that he privately married his wife, Rama Duwaji. He casually dropped the news while gushing over the clerk's office building where they said their I Dos.

"I recently got married in a civil ceremony at the clerk’s office, and I absolutely loved that building," Zohran told the outlet. "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."

Rama is a Syrian animator and illustrator. According to The Cut, she received backlash for using her art to discuss the pro-Palestine movement. In a post from May 2025, she shared an illustration to shed light on the country's hunger crisis that left many without food and water. Rama captioned the post to remind her audience of the ongoing bombings in Palestine.

"As I was making this, Israel has been bombing Gaza nonstop with consecutive airstrikes," Rama wrote. "Keep your eyes on Gaza."

Zohran confirming his marriage led to more probing about him and his wife online. In May 2025, the couple were slammed for having a lavish engagement party and a Nikkah — an Islamic religious ceremony in which a couple signs a marriage contract — in Dubai before their clerk office wedding. According to The New York Post, wedding packages for their venue cost $72 per person, with a minimum food and beverage spend of roughly $2,700.

Zohran was also accused of hiding his wife after eagle-eyed spectators noticed he didn't post her on social media much. The politician eventually put those rumors to rest by showing Rama how much he appreciated her by posting photos from their legal ceremony.

"If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be," Zohran wrote in May 2025. "I usually brush it off, whether it’s death threats or calls 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, at the City Clerk’s office," he added. "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."

And that's that on that, respectfully!