Tracy Caruso: Are Political Spouses Public Figures?

By Tracy Caruso On Mar 10, 2026 0 Copy Link Print

There was a time — back when politics still had some boundaries — when the spouse of a public figure was considered off-limits. They waved, smiled, baked cookies, and vanished back into polite privacy. But somewhere between the rise of social media and the age of self-branding, that all went out the window. Now the political spouse isn’t standing in the background — they’re posing front and center, perfectly lit, perfectly styled, and perfectly ready to tell you how to think.

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Note from Tracy: I’m married to Mike Caruso, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for Palm Beach County. Stepping into the public eye has been both rewarding and revealing — being visible invites praise and criticism alike. If you choose not to be in the background, you have to deal with the good and the bad of being in the public eye. I made my choice, and I stand by it.

Enter Rama Duwaji, wife of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani — or, as magazines breathlessly refer to her, the “art, beauty, and fashion icon” redefining the political plus-one. There she is in The Cut, basking in the glow of a full fashion spread, her hair cut elevated to celebrity status as “The Rama.” She’s been hired by Apple, hailed as a progressive muse, and profiled like she’s the next Frida Kahlo — if Frida had a better PR team.

Rama Duwaji on the cover of The Cut called the “First Lady of New York City.” Politics, power, style, influence all in one.

She just showed everyone who is paying attention that she matters now. pic.twitter.com/pBiRiKNq8y

— TheCommonVoice (@MaxRumbleX) December 23, 2025

Here’s the thing, though: Rama’s art? In my humble opinion — aggressively average. The kind of art that whispers when it tries to shout. Perfectly pleasant and occasionally clever, if you agree with her politics. I just started college, so everyone needs to know about my political opinions, if you think her politics are misinformed and stupid. Her art, in my view, is the sort of thing that might hang in a Brooklyn coffee shop next to a tip jar and a macrame plant hanger. Yet somehow, her “fine” art started getting serious play right after her husband’s election win. Imagine that!

But Rama doesn’t stop at brushstrokes. No, her work and wardrobe both come with political messaging. She’s spoken publicly about Gaza, “genocide,” imperialism, and has turned fashion into activism — proudly wearing Palestinian designers to major events—again, all fair game; she’s free to express her views. But recently, she climbed onto the wrong end of the social media seesaw after liking a post suggesting that reports of Israeli women being raped by Hamas were fabricated.

Guys that post was just the tip of the iceberg,

I found 70+ radical anti-Israel posts liked by Rama Duwaji, wife of Zohran Mamdani. One calls October 7 a “mass rape hoax.” https://t.co/ogwZfweh4v

— Olivia Reingold (@Olivia_Reingold) March 7, 2026

That’s when her husband, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was asked to comment — and out came the line that should be carved into the marble of political spin where he essentially said: “Hey, don’t look at me — she’s not a public figure.”

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani says his wife, Rama Duwaji, is not a public figure after reports surfaced that she liked a post calling the sexual violence investigation tied to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack a “mass rape” hoax.

pic.twitter.com/1x0gwGWO8f

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 9, 2026

Really? The woman has been photographed, profiled, interviewed, styled, quoted, hashtagged, and published — all while using her husband’s public platform as a springboard for her own sudden stardom. When you’ve been featured in The Cut and hired by Apple, you’ve crossed the line from private citizen to public entity. You can’t monetize visibility and then act shocked when the spotlight doesn’t dim on cue.

This is the political version of having your cake and eating it, too. Once you choose the spotlight — whether through art, activism, or well-curated Instagram posts — you don’t get to claim darkness when things heat up suddenly. We all grew up hearing the famous line, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

So yes, Rama Duwaji is a public figure. She built the platform, she posed for the photos, she courted the acclaim. And now, the blowback is part of the package deal. You can’t play the icon when things are good and the invisible spouse when they’re not.

Or to put it in plain English: if you step onto the stage, don’t act surprised when the audience starts clapping — or booing.

Other stories you may want to read:

Tracy Caruso: Fashion Turbulence-Airport Sleepwear Faces Emergency Landing

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Tracy Caruso

Tracy Caruso is the President/Owner of Delray Beach Executive Suites. In December of 2022, she was appointed by Governor DeSantis as a commissioner to the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. She is Chair of the Housing & Finance Authority of Palm Beach County and a Trustee for Palm Beach State College. She is also a certified rape crisis counselor and trained literacy advocate. She currently serves on many boards including The Hispanic Vote and Propel. Tracy is married to Mike Caruso, the Clerk and Comptroller of Palm Beach County. She’s a stepmother of 7 and a mother of 2 toy poodles.