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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand people gathered at Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful 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 youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the event as a significant moment. It was a moment of unity, frustration and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the reason 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 starting point.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a while. “It’s thrilling 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 engaged now, then when is the time?”

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

The diversity of the audience mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, working youth and older adults all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally 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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, and affordability”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether Mamdani can fulfill all his promises, he’s receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just wishing somebody is proposing some alternatives.”

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

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “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.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate had a clear message he was aiming to get across 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 backing his campaign. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the importance of voting for Mamdani to the position 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 wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the politicians they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is taking place.”

New York governor the governor was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to show the supporters the value of her presence and backing.

It was a stark difference 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 take the stage, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message resound 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 latter half of his speech to thanking the coalition 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 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 sea of glowing screens, innumerable.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we achieve liberation,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.