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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand people poured into Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins came together, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many viewed the event as more than just a rally. It was a occasion of unity, discontent and hope all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Queens, the reason 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 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 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 local, 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 getting in the mindset to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity 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 the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can deliver on 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 without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is offering some alternatives.”

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

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, commending Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like he is very genuine in his responses in a way that isn’t typically seen in most elected officials. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

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

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by 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 billionaires he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to invest unlimited funds to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

New York governor the governor was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically shout “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience the importance of her appearance and endorsement.

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

When it came time for the candidate to speak, the audience had been more than adequately energized. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message resound 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 Mamdani did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead devoting the latter half 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 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 lit up in a sea of glowing screens, too many to count.

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