Cecile Richards Is Stepping Down From Planned Parenthood

Cecile Richards will step down from her position as president of Planned Parenthood after more than a decade at its helm. Richards, 60, has become the de facto face of the reproductive rights organization, and has navigated major wins (such as getting more than 55 million women covered for birth control under the Affordable Care Act) and major obstacles (like the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress) during her tenure. Since 2006, when she became president, Richards greatly expanded Planned Parenthood’s political prominence and organizing capabilities. As first reported by BuzzFeed News and The New York Times, she will meet with the Planned Parenthood board at its annual meeting on Friday and Saturday to discuss her departure and replacement. She announced the news herself on Twitter on Friday in a video statement:

On Thursday night during an appearance on The Daily Show, Richards discussed the possibility of a future run for office: “I don’t know what my future holds, but I do know that I’ve been fortunate to be kind of a troublemaker my whole life. I was raised by a troublemaker, the late, great governor of Texas, Ann Richards—and, as my friend Congressman John Lewis would say, good trouble, I hope. And so, whatever I do in my lifetime, I’ve always been incredibly privileged to be able, I hope, make a difference in the lives of folks who may just need a break. So that’s my hope for my future.” She stated emphatically in an interview published on Friday with The New York Times that she was not running for anything, despite some supporters hoping her announcement meant the opposite.

“As a lifetime organizer, I’ve never been more excited, despite this Congress and this presidency,” Richards said. “There’s this kind of organic activism by women.” In April, she will publish Make Trouble: Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead—My Life Story, which she will likely spend time promoting. Last June, she told Vogue that women are constantly approaching her on the streets, asking, “What should I do?” Richards said that her response is, “Don’t wait for instructions. Just get going.”