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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand attendees filled Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful assemblyman Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. City residents of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many described the rally as not merely a political event. It was a moment of togetherness, frustration and hope 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 make a change as a country, and New York City is definitely the starting point.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, 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 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 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 getting in the mindset to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, young professionals and retirees all were present. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his initial campaign event 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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether Mamdani can deliver on all his promises, he’s open-minded. “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 Astoria, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and tackling the city’s affordability crisis. “I think the assemblyman is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

A supporter, 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 politicians. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

The candidate had a distinct theme 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 imam all on stage together in support of his campaign. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the importance of electing Mamdani to the role of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, but also as a means to send a message to Trump and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to invest unlimited funds 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 speaker met with divided reactions, 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 show the supporters the value of her presence 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 take the stage, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message ring so loud 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 Westchester tonight.”

But Mamdani did not focus excessively on his opponent, instead dedicating the second part of his speech to thanking the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and contributed to his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The crowd immediately illuminated in a sea of glowing screens, too many to count.

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