New York City has officially elected its next leader — and it’s polling favorite Zohran Mamdani.

The 34-year-old Democratic socialist achieved a sweeping victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, becoming the city’s most progressive mayor in decades.

Following his historic win, Mamdani — who is also NYC’s first Muslim mayor, first of South Asian descent, and first born in Africa — promised a new era of change and progress.

In his victory speech, he said:

“Let the words we’ve spoken together, the dreams we’ve dreamt together, become the agenda we deliver together.
New York, this power, it’s yours. This city belongs to you. Thank you.”

Supporters celebrated Mamdani’s victory, but many also turned their attention to the city’s new First Lady, Rama Duwaji, who has made history herself as the first Gen Z woman to take on the role.

Who Is Rama Duwaji?

Rama Duwaji, 28, is a Syrian-American illustrator and animator. Born in Houston to Syrian parents, she spent her childhood between the United States and the Persian Gulf.

According to CNN, her family moved from Texas to Dubai when she was nine years old. Later, she studied Design at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts in Qatar, graduating in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She then earned her Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Her work has appeared in major outlets including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and even the Tate Modern in London.

On Instagram, where she has over 265,000 followers, Duwaji shares illustrations often focused on pro-Palestinian themes, including depictions of conflict, displacement, and social justice.