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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately 13,000 people poured into the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate assemblyman Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. City residents of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to energize the event.

Many viewed the gathering as a significant moment. It was a occasion of unity, discontent and hope all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Briarwood, 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 NYC is definitely the starting point.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event signaled 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 Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “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 crowd mirrored the city itself. established New Yorkers, recent arrivals, working youth and retirees all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his first rally 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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s doubtful 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 wishing somebody is offering 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 Mamdani is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising 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 lip service-y than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

Mamdani 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 Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an imam all on stage together in backing his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the importance of electing Mamdani to the role of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, 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 one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to invest unlimited funds to choose the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is taking place.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech 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 demonstrate the supporters the importance of her appearance and endorsement.

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 crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate 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 he did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead devoting the latter half of his speech to thanking the coalition who had supported him for the past several months and helped with his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had volunteered and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. 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 achieve liberation,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.