The realization, which spread quickly across the social media platform, has sparked surprise. One video included a woman looking shocked with the text overlay: “Just found out that Carolina Leavitt and Rama Duwaji (Zohran Mamdani’s wife) are BOTH 28.”
Leavitt, born August 24, 1997, made history as one of the youngest people to serve as White House press secretary. Duwaji, born June 30, 1997, is a writer and community organizer who has been active in New York’s cultural and political scenes.
Wife of New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Rama Duwaji, left, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, right.
Who Is Rama Duwaji?
Rama Duwaji is a Syrian-American illustrator and animator based in Brooklyn. Known for her essays, fiction, and commentary on culture and identity. She is also the wife of Zohran Mamdani, the incoming Mayor of New York City, who previously served as a progressive member of the New York State Assembly.
On Tuesday, voters elected Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, as the next mayor, according to network projections. He appeared in Queens earlier in the day to vote alongside his wife.
Online, Duwaji has become a recognizable voice in left-leaning circles for her thoughtful takes on art and activism. While mostly working with digital media, she also makes ceramics. Her artwork often carries a strong political message, including criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and reflections on other crises in the Middle East.
Her marriage to Mamdani has drawn attention from social media users who see the couple as part of a new generation of politically engaged public figures.
@less.is.moreeeTwo different women doing two very different things for the state of democracy! #zohranmamdani #caroline #girl Before we get upsetti spaghetti in the comments I chose these VERY relevant women not to intentionally comment on physicality, but to highlight the destruction and uplifting (which some will see as subjective…) each have accomplished in their very young adult lives. I didn’t know they were the same age and apparently most people didn’t either! 28 is extraordinarily young for where they both are respectively in their careers. I know a lot of people will immediately jump to advocate for Caroline’s superior success as a spokesperson for the White House but I see Rama’s life as interesting and powerful too!
What People Are Saying
TikTok users have turned the discovery of Duwaji and Leavitt’s shared birth year into a viral talking point, commenting on everything from aesthetics to the nature of women’s representation in public life.
Some TikTok users were quick to share their surprise that the two women were born just months apart:
“Two different women doing two very different things for the state of democracy!” — @less.is.moreee on TikTok.
“There’s no universe where I’d believe Caroline Leavitt is younger than me.” — @kml152 on TikTok.
While others viewers shared frustration over videos that seemed to highlight the women’s looks over their achievements and political backgrounds.
“No matter how much a woman be successful in life, people will always associate her worth to her looks. I am not from the U.S., but the amount of times that I saw people commenting on the looks of this woman is so sad.” — @vivaas332 on TikTok.
“Let’s not start associating goodness with attractiveness.” — @miamiamascmasc on TikTok.
