Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy Tour Headed to NYC for Town Hall With Mamdani

On the heels of a Labor Day rally in Maine with Democrats running for governor and US Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Wednesday that his Fighting Oligarchy Tour is headed to New York City for a town hall with mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

Sanders (I-Vt.) endorsed Mamdani ahead of the Democratic Party's June primary, in which he bested scandal-plagued former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Since then, deep-pocketed donors have aimed to defeat the democratic socialist. Cuomo remains in the race as an Independent, as does Mayor Eric Adams, who was elected as a Democrat. The Republican nominee is Curtis Sliwa.

The senator—who twice sought Democrats' presidential nomination—has stressed that Mandani faces "the entire establishment, the oligarchy, the billionaires coming down on his head, not only because he's demanding that the wealthy and large corporations in New York City start paying their fair share of taxes, they are worried that his campaign is an example of what can happen all over the country when you bring people together to demand the government that works for all of us and not just a few."

Sanders took aim at those same villains in his statement about the town hall, scheduled for 6:00 pm Saturday, September 6 at Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts in Brooklyn.

"At a time of massive and growing income and wealth inequality, we are building a strong grassroots movement to take on the billionaire class and corporate greed," he said. "The oligarchs are prepared to undermine democracy and spend tens of millions of dollars to buy elections. But candidates who stand boldly with the working class can—and will—beat them. When we stand together, we can defeat authoritarianism and create an economy that works for all our people, not just the privileged few."

Since launching the national tour earlier this year, Sanders and other progressive speakers have drawn more than 300,000 people to 34 rallies across 20 states, according to the senator's office. With the events, he hopes to not only mobilize organizers and voters but also inspire people to run for public office.

Mamdani has called Sanders "the single most influential political figure in my life," and highlighted how his example led to the mayoral candidate ultimately running for office. He currently represents the 36th District in the New York State Assembly.

"It is an honor to welcome Sen. Sanders to New York City as we fight against the corporate greed, billionaires, and corrupt politicians responsible for the affordability crisis," Mamdani said Wednesday, taking aim at President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked and even threatened to arrest the candidate for mayor.

"While oligarchs and Donald Trump try to place their thumb on the scale of this election," Mamdani said, "we're laser-focused on the New Yorkers who built this city, call it home, and deserve a leader who will deliver dignity for all."