Elizabeth Warren came to Washington Square Park Monday night to speak beneath its famed arch celebrating the nation's first president, but she made clear that's not why she was here.
"We're not here today because of famous arches or famous men. In fact, we're not here because of men at all," Warren said to cheers from the crowd.
Instead, Warren focused on the women who perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of 1911, which led to a number of women-led labor reforms.
She weaved the story into a stump speech that focused on her anti-corruption plan, released earlier Monday, which takes particular aim at the lobbying industry.
"Let's shut this industry down and return our government to the people," said Warren.
Among other tough restrictions, Warren's plan would bar members of Congress and other leaders from ever becoming lobbyists and would bar lobbyists from fundraising.
Her plan would also require anyone running for federal office to post their tax returns online.
Warren also got a significant boost Monday with the endorsement of the Working Families Party, the influential progressive group that backed Bernie Sanders in 2016.
She was warmly embraced by New Yorkers, not only the thousands who turned out to cheer her on, but also a host of local elected officials who joined together to voice their support. The group numbers about 15.
That's more support from New York elected officials than for any other candidate for president, and a stark contrast to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who's been endorsed by just two local elected officials.