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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand attendees gathered at the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many viewed the gathering as more than just a rally. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and hope 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 bring about reform as a country, and New York City is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a long time. “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 right moment?”

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 cast ballots earlier today because we were preparing to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, working youth and retirees all were present. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, 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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether Mamdani can deliver on 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 options.”

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 excellent work of focusing on everything I’m worried by,” they said.

A supporter, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like he is very sincere in his responses in a way that isn’t typically seen in most politicians. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate 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 reverend, and an imam all on stage together in backing his campaign. 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 significance 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 the former president and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to choose the candidates they want. That is the context in which this race is occurring.”

The state's leader the governor was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the audience 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 audience the importance of her presence and endorsement.

It was a stark difference to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to speak, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our words resound that he can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the Democratic candidate 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 second part of his speech to thanking the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his historic 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 activate their phone flashes. The crowd immediately lit up in a multitude of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On November 4 we set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his final remarks.