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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 supporters poured into Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins came together, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many viewed the gathering as a significant moment. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the reason to attend was straightforward: “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 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 while. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might make a difference 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 right moment?”

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 variety of the audience reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, working youth and older adults all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his first rally 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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can deliver on 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 wishing somebody is proposing some options.”

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

Nicole, 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.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate 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 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.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with 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 affordable, 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, billionaires get the chance to invest unlimited funds to choose the politicians they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to show the audience the value of her appearance and backing.

It was a big contrast to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for the candidate to take the stage, the audience had been more than adequately energized. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words resound 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 focus excessively on Cuomo, instead devoting the latter half of his speech to thanking the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and helped with his record-breaking 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 arena immediately illuminated in a sea of bright phone lights, innumerable.

“Our work has only just begun. On 4 November we set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his closing words.