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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand attendees gathered at the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was completely sold out. City residents of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many viewed the rally as not merely a political event. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and hope all at once. For one attendee, 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 place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a while. “It’s thrilling 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 right moment?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this energy. 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, recent arrivals, young professionals and older adults 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 the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate 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 alternatives.”

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

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very sincere in his responses in a way that isn’t common in most politicians. 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 Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his bid. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the importance 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 Trump and the billionaires he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the candidates they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

New York governor the governor was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically shout “Tax the rich!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to show the audience the importance of her appearance and backing.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to take the stage, the crowd had been more than adequately energized. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our words resound that Cuomo 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 dwell too long on his opponent, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the coalition who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The crowd immediately lit up in a sea of glowing screens, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we set ourselves free,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.