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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand supporters poured into the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful assemblyman Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins came together, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many described the rally as not merely a political event. It was a moment of unity, frustration and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the motivation to attend was straightforward: “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 NYC is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a while. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might make a difference 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 engaged now, then when is the time?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “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 enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the audience mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, young professionals 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 hear what they have to say, and there’s no other viable candidates, in my opinion,” he said.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “public security, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can deliver on all his promises, he’s receptive. “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 alternatives.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think Mamdani is doing a excellent work of focusing on everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

A supporter, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere 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

The candidate had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a rabbi, a Christian minister, 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 support Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing Mamdani to the role of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more affordable, but also as a means to make a statement to Trump and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is taking place.”

New York governor the governor was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “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 value of her presence and endorsement.

It was a big contrast to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after the governor and was met with the audience calling out for her.

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

“Let our message resound that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the Democratic candidate 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 Cuomo, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to thanking the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and helped with his record-breaking 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 turn on their lights. The crowd immediately lit up in a multitude of bright phone lights, innumerable.

“We are just getting started. On November 4 we achieve liberation,” Mamdani said in his closing words.