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

The iconic open-air venue was completely sold out. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the younger generation that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many viewed the rally as a significant moment. It was a occasion of unity, frustration and hope all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Briarwood, the reason to attend was simple: “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.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a long time. “It’s thrilling 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 time?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 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 preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the crowd mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, young professionals and retirees all were present. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his initial campaign event 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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can fulfill all his pledges, he’s open-minded. “I don’t know who’s going to pay for all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just hoping somebody is proposing some options.”

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

A supporter, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “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 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 imam all on stage together in support of his campaign. Brad Lander, a past contender in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. 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 the former president and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to spend as much as they want to elect 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 mixed responses, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to show the audience the value of her appearance and endorsement.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after the governor 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 sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message resound 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 the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead devoting the second part of his speech to expressing gratitude to the coalition who had backed his campaign 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, too many to count.

“Our work has only just begun. On November 4 we achieve liberation,” the candidate said in his final remarks.