Former President Jimmy Carter issued a statement Friday night in remembrance of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, calling her “a beacon of justice.”
Ginsburg died Friday of complications with pancreatic cancer, the Supreme Court announced. She was 87 years old.
“A powerful legal mind and a staunch advocate for gender equality, she has been a beacon of justice during her long and remarkable career,” Carter said in a statement. “I was proud to have appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980.”
“We join countless Americans in mourning the loss of a truly great woman. We will keep her family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” he added.
Former President George W. Bush (R) also mourned Ginsburg, saying she “inspired more than one generation of women and girls.”
Ginsburg served on the U.S. Court of Appeals until 1993, when she was nominated to the Supreme Court by then-President Clinton. She was the second woman to be appointed to the high court and served as a justice for more than 27 years.
Hundreds mourned Ginsburg on social media as her death instantly sparked a partisan battle among lawmakers over the vacancy on the bench, which comes less than two months before the November elections.