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Just over a week before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand attendees poured into the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

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

Many viewed 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 Briarwood, the reason 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.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy 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 engaged now, then when is the right moment?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting 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 enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, young professionals and retirees all were present. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, 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 strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, he’s receptive. “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 proposing 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 the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very genuine in his responses in a way that isn’t typically seen in most politicians. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

Mamdani had a distinct theme he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his bid. Brad Lander, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with 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 economical, but also as a means to send a message to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to spend as much as they want to choose the candidates they want. That is the context in which this race is occurring.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only speaker met with divided reactions, 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, stand with her, as if to show the supporters the importance of her appearance 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 speak, the crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hesitate at taking jabs the former governor.

“Let our message ring so loud that he can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so powerful 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 expressing gratitude to the alliance who had backed his campaign for the past several months and helped with his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had helped out and canvassed 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 November 4 we set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his closing words.