NYC mayor candidate Mamdani rallies with AOC and Sanders in Queens

Multiple New York voters speaking at Sunday’s rally, including New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, told Fox News Digital that the GOP is the future of the Democratic Party.

Thousands of voters gathered at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens on Sunday for a “New York Not for Sale” rally in support of Mamdani, a 34-year-old self-described democratic socialist in the Gracie Mansion race. The democratic socialist trio, flanked by Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., drew huge crowds during the first weekend of early voting in the city.

“There will be no party unless there is a future,” Nuala O’Doherty-Naranjo, an immigration attorney who lives in Ocasio-Cortez’s district in Jackson Heights, Queens, told Fox News Digital.

Asked if she identifies as a democratic socialist like Mamdani, Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders, O’Doherty-Naranjo said, “DSA all the way.”

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Mamdani is a member of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. The DSA has endorsed his candidacy and some of its members made remarks during the star-studded rally on Sunday.

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Hallie, who lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, said she supports Mamdani for “obvious reasons,” including representing “every New Yorker” with her commitment to affordability and safety.

He said Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez are “absolutely” the future of the Democratic Party and that their candidacy gives him hope.

“I think that’s very evident in the turnout for this election and the primaries, and just like seeing people here filling the stadium just to support it, I think that’s a big indicator of the future,” Hallie said.

More than 10,000 fans flocked to Forest Hills Stadium on Sunday, according to Mamdani’s campaign.

New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani (center) meets Sen. Celebrating with Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Y (R). (Andres Kudacki/Getty Image)

“To me, socialism means more advocacy and more attention to the working class, the people who really make society come alive and work to make it what it is,” Hallie said, explaining that to her, socialism means everyone pays their fair share.

On Sunday, as the crowd joined him in saying, “New York is not for sale,” Mamdani said of Sanders, “I speak the language of democratic socialism because he spoke it first.”

The trio has galvanized the Democratic Party’s progressive base at a time when Democrats are still grappling with devastating losses in 2024 and discontent is growing with President Donald Trump’s sweeping second-term agenda.

The rally was also attended by several state and local leaders, including Gov. Kathy Hochul (DY), who endorsed Mamdani last month and has been campaigning for him since.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DY, speaks on stage during a campaign rally for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani at Forest Hills Stadium in the New York City borough of Queens on October 26, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

During his speech, Hochul said, “Tax the rich!” He was heckled several times by participants chanting slogans.

Mamdani’s plan to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthiest 1 percent of New Yorkers, including campaign promises of free child care, free buses and city-run grocery stores, would require Hochul’s approval, and the governor has refused to raise taxes.

As the stadium was filled with calls to “tax the rich,” Hochul responded, “I hear you.”

“I love everything Zoran brings to the table, from bringing a new kind of energy and enthusiasm to New York City politics, to actually caring about the citizens of New York City, to finding life affordable and fun and healthy for all of us. I don’t see how anyone can get behind that,” Matt Ransdell, who lives in Manhattan’s Washington Heights, told Fox News Digital.

Ransdell said Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez “could be” the future of the Democratic Party, adding that Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani’s democratic socialist movement is “very fresh and encouraging.”

“There’s something incredibly communal about it,” Ransdell said. “It’s crazy how even here at this rally I feel really connected. The energy is contagious,” he said.

New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a campaign rally at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City on October 26, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

“The younger generation’s voice is speaking as loudly as it can, and if the older generation is not willing to listen, we’re going to have a problem,” Randsell added.

Lane, another New Yorker who attended Sunday’s rally, said he hopes they will come.

“Look, not everyone is going to support it,” Lane said. “Maybe he has a brand that’s a little further ahead of some people’s tastes, but I definitely support him. I definitely hope that’s the direction the party is going.”

Lane said he “absolutely” identifies himself as a democratic socialist and would “go further if possible.”

Jessica, who lives in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and works for Voters of Tomorrow, a Gen-Z-led progressive political action group, said Mamdani’s campaign “energized a lot of young people” and inspired them to get out and vote.

He said Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez “both understand the affordability crisis that young people are facing right now, and they both actually propose policies to combat it and make the lives of young adults better.”

“Young people are the future of the Democratic Party,” Jessica said. “I think the young voters who are campaigning, who are getting out there, who are making their voices heard, they are the ones who are shaping this,” he said.

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The latest Fox News poll, conducted Oct. 10-14 ahead of last week’s first general election debate, found Mamdani with a significant lead in the race.

According to the poll, Mamdani has a 21-point lead among registered voters in New York City; 49% of voters support Mamdani, while 28% support Cuomo and 13% support Sliwa.

Mamdani also garnered 52% support among likely voters, above the 50% threshold, while Cuomo received 28% support and Sliwa received only 14%.