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Just over a week before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately 13,000 attendees gathered at Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was completely sold out. City residents of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the younger generation that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the gathering as more than just a rally. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation to attend was simple: “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 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 make a difference is showing up 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 comparable excitement: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this movement. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were preparing to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, 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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and cost of living”, 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 options.”

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

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very sincere in his responses 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

Mamdani had a clear message he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the significance 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 make a statement to Trump and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to choose the politicians they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience the value of her presence and endorsement.

It was a big contrast 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 speak, the crowd had been more than adequately energized. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words resound that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead dedicating 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 evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The arena immediately illuminated in a multitude of bright phone lights, innumerable.

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