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

The iconic open-air venue was filled to capacity. City residents of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many characterized the event as not merely a political event. It was a moment of unity, discontent and hope 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 place to start.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a long time. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might change things 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 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 vote earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience mirrored the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, young professionals and retirees all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally 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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, and affordability”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether Mamdani can deliver on 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 hoping somebody is offering some options.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were protecting LGBTQ rights and tackling the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think the assemblyman is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like he is very sincere in his answers in a way that isn’t typically seen in most elected officials. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to communicate at the rally; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the importance of electing 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 the former president and the wealthy elites 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 elect the candidates they want. That is the context in which this election is occurring.”

The state's leader the governor was the only presenter met with mixed responses, 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 demonstrate the supporters the value 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 the candidate to speak, the audience had been more than adequately energized. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our message ring so loud that Cuomo 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 the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the alliance 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 turn on their lights. The crowd immediately illuminated in a sea of glowing screens, innumerable.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we achieve liberation,” the candidate said in his closing words.