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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately 13,000 attendees gathered at the Queens stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” event, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful assemblyman Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was completely sold out. City residents of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many viewed the rally as a significant moment. It was a occasion of unity, frustration 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 New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 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 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 involved now, then when is the right moment?”

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 preparing 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 in attendance. 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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani 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 offering some alternatives.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their main concerns were protecting LGBTQ rights 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, expressed similar views, commending Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere in his responses in a way that isn’t common in most elected officials. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

The candidate had a clear message he was aiming to get across at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his campaign. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the significance 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.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to choose the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is occurring.”

New York governor the governor was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience 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 Mamdani himself to speak, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our message ring so loud that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the Democratic candidate said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in Westchester tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead devoting the second part of his speech to thanking the alliance 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 canvassed for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The crowd immediately illuminated in a multitude of glowing screens, innumerable.

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