A woman has expressed regret over what she calls the ‘fumble of the century’ after revealing why she turned down Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York City, on a dating app.
Zohran Mamdani has recently been elected as the youngest mayor of New York City in decades. He is also the first Muslim and the first South Asian to hold this office.
The 34-year-old’s campaign focused on the cost of living in New York City, with a pledge to make the city more affordable for working-class residents.
With Mamdani’s rapid ascension in politics, every detail of his life has been scrutinized, including his romantic history.
Mamdani met his wife, Rama Duwaji, an artist and illustrator, on the dating app Hinge, and the couple later wed at a city hall ceremony.
However, when he was still actively using dating apps, one woman admitted to rejecting Mamdani for a particular reason, which she now seemingly regrets.
Online dating can be quite challenging, with people often employing various criteria to filter potential matches.
For many women seeking male partners, height is a common preference, prompting some men to exaggerate their stature on their profiles.
It’s hardly surprising, given the tendency for people to stretch the truth on dating platforms.
The woman shared her experience on social media, labeling it the ‘fumble of the century’ and recounting her reasoning for dismissing Mamdani.
She explained: “He was listed as either 5’11 or 5’10,” she recalled.
“And younger me knew that meant he was most likely 5’9.”
In the competitive world of online dating, this led to her quickly swiping left.
However, she now believes that Mamdani might have been truthful about his height all along.
“Present me appreciates that he was more honest than most guys on there,” she noted.
Mamdani and Rama Duwaji tied the knot in 2025, and Duwaji will become New York City’s youngest first lady on January 1.
In his victory speech, Mamdani expressed his gratitude to his wife, stating: “To my incredible wife, Rama, hayati.
“There is no one I would rather have by my side in this moment, and in every moment.”
The term ‘Hayati’ is an Arabic word of endearment that means ‘my life’; Duwaji, who is an artist and ceramicist, has Syrian roots.
Duwaji’s work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New Yorker, the Tate Modern art gallery in London, and the BBC.