'Our work has only just begun': Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rally the faithful ahead of NYC mayoral election.

Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 supporters gathered at the Queens stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” rally, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to energize the event.

Many described the rally as more than just a rally. It was a occasion of unity, discontent and hope all at once. For one attendee, 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 starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, 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 Forest Hills resident, a supporter, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this energy. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, working youth and retirees all were in attendance. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally 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 primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can fulfill all his promises, he’s receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to pay for all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is offering some alternatives.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a excellent work of focusing on everything I’m worried by,” they said.

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very genuine in his answers in a way that isn’t typically seen 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 biggest strength. 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 past contender in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the significance of voting for Mamdani to the role of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more affordable, but also as a means to make a statement to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is taking place.”

The state's leader the governor was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to demonstrate the supporters the importance of her presence 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 the candidate to take the stage, the audience had been more than adequately energized. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our words resound that Cuomo 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 dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the alliance 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 anyone in the crowd who had volunteered 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 November 4 we set ourselves free,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.