🔗 Share this article

Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on 4 November, approximately 13,000 attendees gathered at the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” event, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was completely sold out. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many characterized the gathering as not merely a political event. It was a occasion of togetherness, frustration and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the motivation to attend was straightforward: “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 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 reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a while. “It’s thrilling that someone who actually might change things 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, a supporter, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this energy. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, working youth and older adults all were in attendance. For an attendee, 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 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 affordability”, 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 fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in without prejudice, and just wishing somebody is offering some options.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their main concerns were protecting LGBTQ rights and tackling the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think Mamdani is doing a great job of focusing on everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere in his answers 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 clear message he was aiming to get across at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a rabbi, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. 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 send a message to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to elect the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is occurring.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience the importance of her presence and endorsement.

It was a stark difference to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after the governor and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for the candidate to take the stage, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words resound that he can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the Democratic candidate said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead devoting the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his record-breaking campaign.

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

“Our work has only just begun. On November 4 we set ourselves free,” Mamdani said in his closing words.