Copyright Newsweek
Rama Duwaji, a 28-year-old artist, appeared on stage with her husband, Zohran Mamdani, as he celebrated his victory in the mayoral election on Tuesday night. Not only was she about to become the youngest first lady of New York City in history, but she was also about to become an internet celebrity as her online following skyrocketed. According to social-media analytics tracker Social Blade, Duwaji's Instagram following grew by a steady few hundred followers per day in the run-up to the pre-election weekend. On Sunday, her account gained a little more traction, adding 1,313 followers. On Monday, it increased by 2,396. And on Tuesday—election day for Mamdani—she gained 5,143. By the time her husband declared victory, Duwaji had amassed over 173,000 followers on Instagram, much of which is likely due to her successful career, with illustrations appearing in publications including The New Yorker and Vogue. But interest in Duwaji was about to reach a whole new level. Social Blade shows that between Tuesday and Wednesday, she had gained staggering 280,197 followers, taking her total following to 454,080. As of early November 6, her account has surpassed 700,000 followers, meaning she has so far gained over half a million followers in less than two days since Mamdani won the election. Mamdani's account has also gained a significant number of Instagram followers since becoming mayor-elect, going from 4.8 million the day before the election to 7.5 million as of Thursday morning. Duwaji is not expected to play a role as a public figure, but her relationship to Mamdani has nonetheless seen significant interest, in part due to their politically unconventional background: meeting on Hinge and marrying at City Hall. While Mamdani's Instagram account is extremely active, recently posting campaign content multiple times per day, Duwaji appears to be keeping her online presence separate—she has not posted at all since her husband's victory, nor did she reference his mayoral campaign in a main post. The last time her husband featured on her grid was June 24, when he won the Democratic primary, defeating City Comptroller Brad Lander and former Governor Andrew Cuomo to become the party's mayoral candidate in New York City. Her post showed a black-and-white photo booth strip of four photos of the pair, along with the caption, "couldn’t possibly be prouder." Mamdani, a progressive candidate who describes himself as a democratic socialist, was expected to win the mayoral election, with his main competition being Cuomo, who ran as an independent following his defeat in the primaries. In an impassioned victory speech, Mamdani told the crowd, "We have toppled a political dynasty. I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few."
