In a remarkable display of left-wing political power and progressive unity, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) joined forces Sunday night to rally for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. The “New York is Not for Sale” rally, held at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, drew thousands of energized supporters just days before early voting begins in a high-stakes race that could install the city’s first democratic socialist mayor.
The event marked not only the peak of Mamdani’s grassroots campaign but the clearest expression yet of the progressive wing’s ambition to transform urban governance through wealth redistribution, expanded public services, and opposition to what they view as entrenched oligarchic power.
“Zohran Mamdani is modeling a different kind of politics,” Sanders said, drawing a direct ideological line from his own decades-long struggle against corporate influence to Mamdani’s insurgent rise. Mamdani, in turn, credited Sanders for giving democratic socialism a political language. “I speak the language of democratic socialism only because he spoke it first,” Mamdani told the roaring crowd.
AOC: “We are not the crazy ones…. They want us to think we are crazy. We are sane.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 27, 2025
Ocasio-Cortez, never one to shy from the national stakes of local politics, framed the mayoral race as a referendum on authoritarianism, wealth inequality, and Trumpism. “New York City will send a message to Trump on Nov. 4 that his authoritarianism is no good here,” she declared. Her remarks drew a sharp line between Mamdani and the opposition, including both Republican Curtis Sliwa and Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, the former governor whom Mamdani defeated in the Democratic primary.
The rally brought together the full spectrum of the city’s progressive base, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, who, after months of silence, endorsed Mamdani last month. But even she wasn’t spared from the crowd’s fervor. Repeated chants of “Tax the rich!” interrupted her speech—a pointed reminder that Mamdani’s platform is not just a campaign promise, but a demand from a mobilized movement.
That platform includes bold proposals: free buses, universal childcare, and city-run grocery stores—initiatives that would require sweeping tax increases on corporations and New York’s wealthiest residents. While Mamdani’s critics call these ideas unrealistic, they have helped consolidate support from a broad coalition of working-class voters, unions, and progressive activists disillusioned with establishment politics.
What on earth is AOC doing? pic.twitter.com/72NuSi8SDM
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 27, 2025
Since Mamdani’s primary win, national attention has swelled. Donald Trump himself has attacked Mamdani repeatedly, labeling him a “100% Communist Lunatic” and “my little communist,” comments that, if anything, have only amplified Mamdani’s visibility and appeal to his base. Mamdani has rejected the communist label but embraces the comparison to Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, calling himself a “proud democratic socialist.”
The endorsements of Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries came only after considerable pressure within the party. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, however, has yet to weigh in, signaling continued ambivalence among establishment Democrats about Mamdani’s rise.
Meanwhile, the opposition remains fragmented. Mayor Eric Adams, once seen as a likely moderate foil to Mamdani, dropped out and endorsed Cuomo. Billionaires like John Catsimatidis and Bill Ackman have called on Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa to withdraw in hopes of consolidating anti-Mamdani votes behind Cuomo. But Sliwa has refused, leaving the anti-socialist vote split.
That division is showing in the numbers. A Fox News poll conducted earlier this month shows Mamdani with a commanding 21-point lead among registered voters and 52% support among likely voters—well above the 50% threshold required to win outright. Cuomo trails at 28%, while Sliwa lags at 14%.
