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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately 13,000 supporters gathered at 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 iconic open-air venue was filled to capacity. City residents of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to energize the event.

Many characterized the event as not merely a political event. It was a occasion of unity, frustration and optimism all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation 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 New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the vibe 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 involved 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 diversity of the crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, young professionals and retirees all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his initial campaign event of the election season. “I’m here because, well, I want to listen to 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 “public security, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, 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 hoping somebody is proposing some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their main concerns were protecting LGBTQ rights and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think the assemblyman is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine in his answers 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 clear message he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an imam all on stage together in backing his bid. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of voting for Mamdani to the role 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 circle.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is taking place.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to show the audience the importance 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 calling out for her.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to speak, the crowd 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 ring so loud 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 Mamdani did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to thanking the alliance who had backed his campaign for the past several months and helped with his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately illuminated in a multitude of bright phone lights, innumerable.

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