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

The historic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the gathering as a significant moment. It was a occasion of togetherness, frustration and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the reason to attend was simple: “I’m here because the system is broken, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should make a change 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 vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a long time. “It’s thrilling 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 engaged now, then when is the time?”

Another Forest Hills resident, a supporter, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this energy. 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 mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, working youth and older adults all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his initial campaign event of the campaign. “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 the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, he’s open-minded. “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 proposing some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think Mamdani is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very genuine in his answers 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 clear message he was aiming to get across at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a rabbi, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing Mamdani to the role 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 wealthy elites he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to spend as much as they want to choose the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is taking place.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Tax the rich!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to demonstrate the audience the importance of her appearance and backing.

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 take the stage, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message resound 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 the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on his opponent, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to thanking the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and helped with his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had volunteered and canvassed for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The crowd immediately illuminated in a sea of bright phone lights, innumerable.

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