🔗 Share this article

Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand supporters filled the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the younger generation that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many described the rally as more than just a rally. It was a occasion of unity, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the motivation 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 local politics in a long time. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might make a difference 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 right moment?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this energy. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, working youth and older adults 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 strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can fulfill all his promises, 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 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 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 Mamdani is very sincere in his answers in a way that isn’t typically seen in most politicians. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a rabbi, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his bid. Brad Lander, a past contender in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by 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 the former president and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to elect the candidates they want. That is the context in which this election is occurring.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the audience 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 demonstrate 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 calling out for her.

When it came time for Mamdani himself 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 Andrew Cuomo.

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

But Mamdani did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead dedicating the second part of his speech to thanking the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his historic campaign.

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

“We are just getting started. On November 4 we set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his closing words.