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Just over a week before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately 13,000 attendees gathered at the Queens stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” rally, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the younger generation that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many described the gathering as more than just a rally. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the reason to attend was simple: “I’m here because the system is broken, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should make a change as a country, and NYC is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a while. “It’s thrilling that someone who actually might make a difference is appearing in an area that I’m in,” he said. “If it’s here, it’s like, why not? If we’re not gonna be engaged now, then when is the time?”

Another local, a supporter, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this movement. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, working youth and retirees all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his initial campaign event of the campaign. “I’m here because, well, I want to listen to what they have to say, and there’s no other strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can deliver on all his pledges, he’s open-minded. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just hoping somebody is proposing some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were defending LGBTQ+ equality and tackling the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine in his answers in a way that isn’t typically seen in most elected officials. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

Mamdani had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; diversity is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a rabbi, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his bid. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing Mamdani to the role of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, but also as a means to send a message to Trump and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to invest unlimited funds to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to show the audience the importance of her presence and backing.

It was a big contrast to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to take the stage, the crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at taking jabs the former governor.

“Let our message ring so loud that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so powerful that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But Mamdani did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead devoting the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and helped with his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had volunteered and gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately illuminated in a multitude of glowing screens, innumerable.

“Our work has only just begun. On 4 November we set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his final remarks.