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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand people gathered at the Queens stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was filled to capacity. City residents of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the gathering as not merely a political event. It was a moment of unity, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 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 make a change as a country, and New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections 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 involved now, then when is the time?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this energy. 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 reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, young professionals and retirees 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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, 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 pay for all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just hoping somebody is offering some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were protecting LGBTQ rights and tackling the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, commending Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere in his answers in a way that isn’t common in most elected officials. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to get across at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a rabbi, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his campaign. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with only the mayoral candidate. 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 send a message to Trump and the wealthy elites he has in his circle.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to invest unlimited funds to elect the politicians they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is occurring.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently breaking into chants 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 supporters the importance of her appearance and endorsement.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after the governor and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for the candidate 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 criticizing Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message 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 dwell too long on his opponent, instead devoting the latter half of his speech to thanking the coalition 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 attendees who had volunteered and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The arena immediately lit up in a multitude of bright phone lights, innumerable.

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