🔗 Share this article

Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand supporters filled the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to energize the event.

Many viewed the event as a significant moment. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Briarwood, 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.”

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 exciting that someone who actually might change things 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 involved now, then when is the time?”

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

The variety of the audience mirrored the city itself. established New Yorkers, recent arrivals, young professionals and older adults all were present. For an attendee, 68, from Astoria, it was his initial campaign event of the election season. “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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, 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 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 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 great job of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, commending Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like he 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; inclusion is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an imam all on stage together in backing his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of voting for Mamdani to the role 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 wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to invest unlimited funds to choose the candidates they want. That is the context in which this election is occurring.”

The state's leader the governor was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to demonstrate the audience the value of her appearance and backing.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, 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 adequately energized. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message ring so loud that he 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 Westchester tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on his opponent, instead devoting the second part of his speech to expressing gratitude to the alliance who had backed his campaign 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 canvassed for his campaign to turn on their lights. The crowd immediately lit up in a multitude of bright phone lights, too many to count.

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