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Just over a week before the NYC mayor's race on 4 November, approximately 13,000 supporters poured into the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to energize the event.

Many characterized the rally as a significant moment. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, 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 place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the vibe of the event signaled 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 involved now, then when is the time?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this energy. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, young professionals and retirees all were present. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his initial campaign event of the election season. “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 Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether Mamdani can deliver on all his pledges, he’s open-minded. “I don’t know who’s going to pay for all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just hoping somebody is offering some options.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and tackling 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.

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

Rally Speeches and Moments

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a reverend, and an imam all on stage together in support of his bid. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more affordable, but also as a means to send a message to the former president and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to choose the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is occurring.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to demonstrate the supporters the value of her presence and backing.

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

When it came time for Mamdani himself to take the stage, the audience 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 words resound that he can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But Mamdani did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead devoting the second part of his speech to thanking the coalition who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had helped out and canvassed for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately lit up 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.