North of 10,000 people gathered in Queens, New York for three hours on a chilly Sunday night to rally around New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, whose openers included Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
While the night celebrated Mamani’s coalition of Democratic Socialist of America leaders, labor union heads, and activists, the rally also reflected how far Mamdani had come from an unknown, leftist state assemblyman, polling under one percent, to a darling of the Democratic mainstream.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who endorsed Mamdani in September, spoke at the rally in his favor, and on Friday, Mamdani received a late endorsement from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
While Mamdani has received a torrent of scrutiny over his unwavering commitment to Palestinian liberation and attacks from both Democrats and Republicans over his socialistic policies, the rally served to drive home the message that Mamdani’s platform has been a winning one.
“[Mayoral candidates] Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams, and Curtis Sliwa do not have an agenda for the future,” Mamdani said in his speech. “All they possess is the playbook of the past. They have sought to make this election a referendum not on the affordability crisis that consumes New Yorkers’ lives, but on the faith I belong to.”
Speaking to attendees lined up to enter the stadium two hours before the event, I heard the same answer repeated over and over when I asked what about Mamdani’s campaign excited them to attend the night’s rally — affordability, affordability, affordability.
Entering the event, certain characters stood out on account of their loud signs and chanting. These individuals included opponents of President Donald Trump promoting an upcoming protest, members of the Communist Party USA handing out leaflets, and counter protestors opposing the event on grounds of their support for Cuomo or opposition to Mamdani’s positions on the state of Israel.
However, most people I encountered seemed focus on hearing Mamdani’s chief message of making New York a more affordable city whilst countering Donald Trump. They spoke about Mamdani as a different sort of Democratic candidate, a candidate who would shake up politics to deliver on the economic priorities they desire most.
“I think this is an excellent candidate who is different from the establishment Democrats,” Jamie Jordan from Rockaway Beach told me. “Everybody thinks ‘oh we need to worry about what the Republicans are doing,’ but I think we need to look within.”
She sees Mamdani as a different type of Democrat who can provide the party a roadmap on how to win working class voters. As Mamdani has noted throughout his campaign, he traveled to the areas of New York City that swung most heavily toward Trump from 2020 to 2024 and oriented his campaign in part around their concerns, chiefly affordability.
Mamdani’s status as an outsider to the Democratic establishment was on full display as those who spoke in his favor reminded the crowd of his low polling numbers at the onset of his campaign and the fundraising disadvantage he faced against his chief opponent, former Governor Andrew Cuomo during the primary.
However, the night also showcased Mamdani’s ability to extend his charm to those in the Democrat party whose ideology may sit less to the left than his own.
Despite framing Mamdani as a protector of New York — a man who’d defend immigrants and the working class and against Donald Trump — Hochul faced a less than enthusiastic crowd. Prior speakers mispronounced Mamdani’s name, but none faced the torrent of “mahm-DAH-nee” chants that Hochul did when she messed up.
The governor, who’s faced criticism from the left over her centrism, was interrupted with “let’s go Knicks” chants as her speech started to wind down, and at one point, she reminded rallygoers that the sooner she was able to to wrap up, the sooner Mamdani would emerge.
He unexpectedly did just that, walking out ahead of schedule to grasp Hochul’s hand as they raised their arms together in a show of solidarity.
In her speech, Hochul pledged to support Mamdani’s effort to deliver on universal childcare, a pledge that stands as one of many that Mamdani acknowledged as having been advanced forward thanks to Sanders.
The night no doubt centered around Mamdani and his ascendence, but the night’s speakers, including the mayoral candidate and Ocasio-Cortez, made clear their ascendance was made possible in part thanks to Sanders.
Sanders, who notably bucked the Democratic establishment, to nearly win the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 and 2020, urged rallygoers to fight against the “oligarchy” by electing candidates like Mamdani who’d fight for working class representation in politics, even if it meant making things harder for corporations and the upper class.
While Sanders’ past campaigns may have failed to transform the Democratic Party in his image, Sunday night showed that his legacy has the potential to produce a generation of leaders with the ability to transform what policies and language are considered the mainstream of America’s Democratic Party.
“We must remember in times such as this — We are not the crazy ones, New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “We are not the outlandish ones, New York City. They want us to think we are crazy — we are sane.”
