Tom Steyer ’75
Age: 62
Hometown: Born in New York; lives in San Francisco
Career: Started and managed a hedge fund for 25 years
Signature issue: He says his top priorities are breaking the influence of corporations and addressing climate change.
What’s the best part about running for president?
Meeting the people around the country.
Describe your favorite campaign stop — or the stop that has been the most impactful for you — so far.
Denmark, South Carolina. I went down to see people who were being mistreated by the state government. They were upbeat and optimistic despite the deep hardship they’d been put through by being denied basic access to clean water. It reminded me of the resilience of the American people.
What’s the best question you’ve been asked by a voter on the trail and why did it resonate with you?
The most important question I’m asked is “Why are you running?” It’s what everyone needs to answer, because it’s not about me. It’s about what I’m going to do in the job.
What’s the oddest question you’ve been asked?
Why are you wearing that belt? [Editor’s Note: Steyer bought the colorful, beaded belt from female artisans on a trip to Kenya to visit a school for girls supported by a friend. He has said he wears it as a reminder not to be so formal, and also as a symbol that the world is a better place when we educate women and girls.]
What’s something you’ve learned about America or the American people that you didn’t know when you started this campaign?
How angry they are.
How have the Exeter tenets of Harkness and non sibi served you as you have crisscrossed the country and met voters?
Harkness is about active listening, which is at the core of what I’m doing. As an organizer, the notion is that you aren’t doing it for yourself, but rather for the cause.
What are some other Exeter lessons you find yourself leaning on when you’re campaigning?
One of the big lessons from Exeter is that you take people for who they are so you take them genuinely without judgment.
Describe the campaign process with a movie title.
"Field of Dreams."
Editor's note: This article first appeared in the fall 2019 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.