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Just over a week before the NYC mayor's race on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand attendees poured into the Queens stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” event, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many described the rally as more than just a rally. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the reason to attend was simple: “I’m here because the government sucks, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should bring about reform as a country, and New York City is definitely the starting point.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a while. “It’s thrilling that someone who actually might change things is showing up in an area that I’m in,” he said. “If it’s here, it’s like, why not? If we’re not gonna be involved now, then when is the right moment?”

Another local, a supporter, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s inspiring 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 variety of the crowd mirrored the city itself. established New Yorkers, recent arrivals, working youth and older adults all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally of the campaign. “I’m here because, well, I want to hear what they have to say, and there’s no other strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether the candidate can fulfill 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 without prejudice, and just wishing somebody is proposing some options.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think the assemblyman is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

A supporter, 30, expressed similar views, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine in his answers in a way that isn’t common in most elected officials. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

Mamdani had a distinct theme he was aiming to communicate at the rally; diversity is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a reverend, and an imam all on stage together in backing his campaign. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the importance of electing Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, but also as a means to send a message to the former president and the billionaires he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to invest unlimited funds to choose the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this race is taking place.”

New York governor the governor was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to show the audience the value of her appearance and backing.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for the candidate to speak, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our words ring so loud that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so powerful that he can hear them even if he’s in Westchester tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on his opponent, instead dedicating 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 memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had helped out and canvassed for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The arena immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, innumerable.

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