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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand supporters gathered at Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many described the gathering as more than just a rally. It was a occasion of togetherness, frustration and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the reason to attend was simple: “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.”

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 right moment?”

Another Forest Hills resident, a supporter, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this movement. 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 variety of the audience reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, working youth and retirees all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his first rally 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 key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can fulfill all his pledges, he’s receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in without prejudice, and just wishing somebody is proposing 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 the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine in his answers in a way that isn’t common in most politicians. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate had a clear message 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 bid. Brad Lander, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the importance of electing Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, but also as a means to make a statement to Trump and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity 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 speaker met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” 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 appearance and endorsement.

It was a stark difference 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 crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs the former governor.

“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 Westchester tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead devoting the latter half 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 evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The crowd immediately lit up in a sea of glowing screens, innumerable.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we achieve liberation,” Mamdani said in his closing words.