While Zahran Mamdani captured American attention by winning the mayor’s office in New York City, capping a stunning rise from little-known state legislator to one of the country’s most popular Democrats, his wife, Rama Doge, quietly played a key role behind the scenes.
The 28-year-old Dougie, who has largely avoided the spotlight, is credited with shaping the Democratic Socialist campaign’s distinctive identity and social media presence, even as she remains almost absent from the political scene.
Origin and birth
Dougie, a Syrian-American who grew up in Dallas and was educated in Dubai after her family moved there when she was nine years old, studied briefly at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar before moving to the university’s branch in Richmond to complete her studies.
She later earned a master’s degree in visual essay illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York, and reportedly moved to New York only four years ago.
Dating and marriage
Dougie and Mamdani met on the dating app Hing in 2021, and Mamdani had recently been elected to the New York State Assembly, something Dougie did not know well.
They got engaged in October 2024, and days after announcing their engagement on Instagram, Mamdani’s election campaign for the position of mayor of the city was launched.
After celebrating in Dubai last December, they married in a simple ceremony in a lower Manhattan court in February, and took pictures on green sofas in the marriage office.
Their wedding photos were taken by photographer Kara McCurdy, who has had a close relationship with Mamdani since his campaign for the State Assembly.
“I knew he was going to marry Rama for years, and I was there with them in the city clerk’s office when it happened,” McCurdy wrote in a May 20 post on her website.
The three of us rode the subway from Astoria to City Hall on a rainy day a few months ago, and I celebrated the official marriage of two of my loved ones,” according to Newsweek.
The couple has no children. Mamdani responded to a recent question asked about this topic, saying: “I feel like I am talking to my mother.” He told reporters that he is focused on the election campaign.
Rama and Mamdani’s election campaign
She helped design the Mamdani campaign’s logos and its overall aesthetic, including the bold yellow, orange and blue colors that have become familiar to New Yorkers in recent months, according to a CNN report.
Although she was absent from traditional campaign events, Doge was present at crucial moments, providing behind-the-scenes advice on social media and campaign icons.
She accompanied Mamdani as he cast his ballot in the primary, when many observers still thought it was unlikely he would defeat former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and she joined Mamdani on stage when he gave his victory speech.
Her political views
Dougie’s social media pages are filled with her ceramic works and drawings, including many that express solidarity with the Palestinian cause, and these posts are generally consistent with her husband’s criticisms of the Israeli government and its behavior in the war that followed the October 7 attacks.
These comments sometimes angered the Jewish community in New York City, which is the largest outside Israel, according to what was reported by the American CNN network.
Her drawings and artwork
On her website, Dougie states that her work has been published on the BBC, as well as in The New Yorker and Vogue. In addition to her mostly digital artwork, Duji also produces ceramic works.
Her artwork often carries a strong political message, including criticism of Israel’s practices in Gaza, and reflections on other crises in the Middle East.
“These days I focus on producing artwork that expresses my experiences, the things I care about, and the community that forms through discussions of my work — whether online or in person — is created organically,” Doji told YUNG magazine last April.
She added: “I create my work for those who care about the things I care about.”
Her friends spoke fondly of their growing admiration for her. “She is a modern-day Princess Diana,” Hasnain Bhatti, a close friend, said in an interview with The New York Times last month.
