Zohran Mamdani's wife Rama Duwaji is an animator, illustrator and ceramicist. And they met on Hinge

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Zohran Mamdani's wife Rama Duwaji is an animator, illustrator and ceramicist. And they met on Hinge

2025-06-27 00:20 Last Updated At：00:31

NEW YORK (AP) — Rama Duwaji’s Election Day post on Instagram was only four words long, but said all it needed to say: “couldn’t possibly be prouder.”

It was accompanied by a photo-booth strip of happy poses with her husband, Zohran Mamdani, and a voting selfie that would presage a momentous night: The 33-year-old state assemblyman would stun the political world — and opponent Andrew Cuomo — with his success in the race for the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor.

While the ultimate outcome has yet to be confirmed by a ranked choice count, many across the country woke up Wednesday eager to learn more both about Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist who's now poised to be the nominee, and also about Duwaji, an animator and illustrator. Mamdani kissed her hand during his victory speech to supporters, thanking “my incredible wife.”

Duwaji was not a public presence during much of the campaign, but is active on social media through her work. In her art career, Duwaji has worked with The New Yorker, The Washington Post, the BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE and the Tate Modern museum in London, among others, according to her website. “Using drawn portraiture and movement, Rama examines the nuances of sisterhood and communal experiences,” it says.

Duwaji, 27, who is ethnically Syrian and was born in Houston, Texas, also enjoys taking a break from her tech-based art to create her own ceramics, particularly illustrated plates in blue and white.

And there's one very contemporary (and much-mentioned) fact that's emerged about the couple: They met on Hinge, the dating app. “I met my wife on Hinge so there is still hope in those dating apps,” Mamdani said, laughing, on a recent episode of The Bulwark podcast.

About six weeks ago the candidate posted a romantic set of photos showing the couple on their wedding day at the city clerk's office earlier this year. The lead photo was a black-and-white shot on the New York subway, specifically at Union Square in Manhattan. The smiling couple held onto a pole, Duwaji dressed in a white dress and black boots and holding a bouquet, as other riders minded their own business.

In the accompanying text, Mamdani referred to online harassment the couple had experienced.

“If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be,” he wrote. “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. Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race — which should be about you — about her.”

“Rama isn’t just my wife,” Mamdani added. “She’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family.”

Duwaji, in the comments, responded with humor: “omg she's real.”

In an April interview on art and activism, Duwaji was asked if artists had a responsibility to speak out about global issues.

“I’ll always quote Nina Simone: ‘An artist’s duty as far as I’m concerned is to reflect the times,'” she said.

“I believe everyone has a responsibility to speak out against injustice,” she added, “and art has such an ability to spread it. I don’t think everybody has to make political work, but art is inherently political in how it’s made, funded, and shared. Even creating art as a refuge from the horrors we see is political to me. It’s a reaction to the world around us."

On Election Day, Duwaji's mother-in-law, filmmaker Mira Nair, posted a message to her daughter-in-law about art and its importance.

“Darling DIL — Art will flourish in our city in the new day,” Nair wrote, adding a heart emoji.

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.