'Our mission has only begun': Mamdani, Sanders and AOC rally the faithful ahead of NYC mayoral election.

Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand people poured into the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate assemblyman Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was completely sold out. City residents of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many viewed the event as not merely a political event. 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 New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 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 change things is showing up 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, 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 getting in the mindset to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, working youth and retirees all were in attendance. For an attendee, 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 strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, 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 fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just wishing somebody is proposing some alternatives.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and tackling the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of focusing on everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere in his answers in a way that isn’t common in most elected officials. He’s a little less empty rhetoric 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 biggest strength. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an imam all on stage together in backing his campaign. Brad Lander, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more affordable, but also as a means to make a statement to Trump and the billionaires he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to spend as much as they want to choose the politicians they want. That is the backdrop in which this race is occurring.”

The state's leader the governor was the only speaker 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, stand with her, as if to demonstrate the supporters the value of her presence and backing.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, 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 adequately energized. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words resound that he 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 the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead dedicating the second part of his speech to thanking the alliance who had backed his campaign for the past several months and contributed to his historic 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 glowing screens, innumerable.

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