Steve Cleff

Gloria Steinem was a trailblazing activist, organizer, and journalist — an icon in so many ways. I first met her in the late '90s, when I was a young prosecutor specializing in crimes against women and children and co-founded an organization called Women Count, where our slogan was, "They used to say women couldn't vote, now they say we won't. Let's get out and vote." To know her as a person is to know someone who was kind, sharp, and witty. She was invested in young women and keeping the door open for the next generation of leaders, and her advocacy was always about fighting for the strength, intelligence, and dignity of women everywhere. She showed incredible support for women running for office, and I will always be grateful for her encouragement and support in my campaign for the presidency. A campaign that was made possible, in no small part, because of her activism and so many other giants upon whose shoulders we stand. Doug and I send our love and prayers to her family, friends, and all those whose lives have been touched by her decades of work.