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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand attendees filled the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, senator Bernie Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. City residents of diverse ages and origins came together, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to energize the event.

Many described the rally 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 reason to attend was straightforward: “I’m here because the government sucks, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should bring about reform as a country, and NYC is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a while. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might change things 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 time?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this energy. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The variety 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 initial campaign event of the campaign. “I’m here because, well, I want to listen to what they have to say, and there’s no other viable candidates, in my opinion,” he said.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can deliver on all his pledges, he’s receptive. “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 hoping somebody is proposing some alternatives.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their top priorities were defending LGBTQ+ equality 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, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “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.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

Mamdani 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 rabbi, a Christian minister, and an imam all on stage together in support of his campaign. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing 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 wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

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

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “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 endorsement.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, 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 mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words ring so loud that he can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the Democratic candidate 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 his opponent, instead dedicating the second part of his speech to thanking the coalition who had supported him for the past several months and helped with his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had volunteered and canvassed for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately illuminated in a sea of bright phone lights, too many to count.

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