Rama, a Syrian-American illustrator based in Brooklyn, wasn’t familiar with New York politics — and Mamdani wasn’t exactly looking for the spotlight.

Their first date was refreshingly normal: coffee at Qahwah House, a cozy Yemeni café in Brooklyn, followed by a walk through McCarren Park. On their second date, Mamdani took Rama on a tour of his Astoria district, the same neighborhood that would one day help make him mayor.

By October 2024, the two were engaged.

“Couldn’t possibly be prouder,” Rama wrote on Instagram alongside photos of the couple and a childhood picture