Cara Mund | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1993-12-08)December 8, 1993 (age 31) Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Education | Brown University (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Political party | Republican (2024–present)[1] |
| Other political affiliations | Independent (2022–2024) |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Title | Miss Red River Valley's Outstanding Teen 2010 Miss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen 2010 Miss Oil Country 2016 Miss Northern Lights 2017 Miss North Dakota 2017 Miss America 2018 |
| Hair color | Natural Blonde |
| Eye color | Blue |
| Website | Campaign website |
Cara D. Mund (/ˈkɑːrə/KAR-ə; born December 8, 1993)[2][3] is an American attorney and former beauty pageant titleholder fromBismarck, North Dakota. In June 2017, she was crownedMiss North Dakota 2017. On September 10, 2017, she was crownedMiss America 2018 inAtlantic City and became the first contestant from North Dakota to win the competition.
Mund was born inBismarck, North Dakota to DeLora Kautzmann-Mund and Doug Mund.[4]
Mund is achoreographer anddancer.[5] Inhigh school, she trained four summers with theRadio City Rockettes[6] and was named one of their "Successful Rockette Women" in 2019.[7] Since the age of 14, Mund has organized an annual fundraising fashion show benefiting theMake-a-Wish Foundation.[3] In high school, Mund served as her school'sNational Honor Society president, graduated as one of her class'valedictorians, and was voted "most likely to become Miss America."[8]
She graduated with honors fromBrown University in 2016 with a degree in business, entrepreneurship, and organizations. Her thesis was on the Miss America Organization.[9] Mund served as the president of thesororityKappa Delta.[10] She has said that the school helped her "think on [her] feet."[9]
From August to December 2016, she interned forRepublican SenatorJohn Hoeven.[11]
In 2019, the North Dakota House of Representatives passed Resolution No. 3035 to honor Mund.[12] She was also inducted into the North Dakota Bluebook's "Notable North Dakotans" and recognized as one of "Five Women Who Changed North Dakota's History."[10] On March 11, 2021, the North Dakota State Museum debuted an exhibit featuring Mund.[13]
Prior to being crowned Miss America, she expressed her plan to attendlaw school.[3] In May 2022, Mund graduated fromHarvard Law School Cum Laude where she was a teaching fellow, the Executive Editor of Operations for the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law, a member of the Harvard Law School Mock Trial Association, and a member of the Women's Law Association.[14][15][16] On September 23, 2022, Mund was sworn in and admitted to practice law in North Dakota.[17][18]
She began pageantry as a child, capturing the titles of Little Miss North Dakota, Miss Pre-Teen North Dakota, and Miss Junior Teen North Dakota.[19] Mund later competed inMiss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen 2010 as Miss Red River Valley's Outstanding Teen 2010. She went on to win the competition, and competed inMiss America's Outstanding Teen 2011.[3] She later was the fourth runner-up at theMiss North Dakota Teen USA 2012 pageant.
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Mund competed inMiss North Dakota 2016 as Miss Oil Country 2016, and was the first runner-up. She returned to the competition the following year as Miss Northern Lights 2017, and was crowned Miss North Dakota 2017, with her platform being "A Make-A-Wish Passion with Fashion."[4]
Mund represented North Dakota in theMiss America 2018 competition held atBoardwalk Hall inAtlantic City, New Jersey, in September 2017. Her platform was "A Make-A-Wish Passion with Fashion." In the preliminary competitions, Mund was named the first runner-up for the Quality of Life Award.[20]
On September 10, 2017, Mund was crowned Miss America 2018 byMiss America 2017Savvy Shields.[21][22][23][24] Along with the title of Miss America, she received a $50,000 scholarship. Mund is the first contestant from North Dakota to win the Miss America title. She is also the last[when?] Miss America to compete in the swimsuit portion of competition.[25]
During her reign, Mund served as the 2018 National Goodwill Ambassador for theChildren's Miracle Network Hospitals and worked closely with theUSO.[26][27] In solidarity with the #MeToo movement, she wore black to the2018 State of the Union, and in the March/April 2018 issue of thealumni magazine of herIvy League school, she represented the Miss America organization, saying that it was the largest scholarship provider to women and that "it's more relevant than ever". She expressed an interest in its change from the inside positive towards its current trajectory, "the organization really did exactly what it was meant to do, and that was to empower women and give them the skills to be able to stand up for themselves."[9]
In August 2018, Mund criticized the Miss America Organization in stating "My voice is not heard nor wanted by our current leadership, nor do they have any interest in knowing who I am and how my experiences relate to positioning the organization for the future."[28] She further stated, "The rhetoric about empowering women, and openness and transparency, is great; however, the reality is quite different. I am living that difference. To stay silent is to give away my power and the power of the women who will follow me. I am not comfortable with any of us being controlled, manipulated, silenced, or bullied."[29]
On December 8, 2019, Mund became the first and so far only[when?] Miss America to judge the Miss Universe competition.[30]
On August 6, 2022, Mund announced hercandidacy as an independent to represent North Dakota in theU.S. House of Representatives.[31][32] She cited theDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision as her motivation to enter the race.[33] Mark Haugen, theDemocratic–NPL candidate, withdrew from the race following her candidacy.[34]She lost the election to incumbentRepublicanKelly Armstrong by a vote of 148,399 (62.2%) to 89,644 (37.6%).[35]
On April 8, 2024, Mund filed paperwork and announced she would run in theNDGOP primary to replace Armstrong as he ran forgovernor.[36] Mund campaigned as being apro-choice,anti-Trump Republican candidate.[37][38]
On June 11, 2024, Mund lost theprimary. Coming in third, she received 19%. Former state legislatorRick Becker andpublic service commissionerJulie Fedorchak came in second and first, respectively.[39]
As of 2024[update], Mund is an associate withQuinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP where she practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation, including white-collar criminal defense, bankruptcy, and employment matters.[40]
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Macy Christianson | Miss North Dakota 2017 | Succeeded by Lizzie Jensen |
| Preceded by | Miss America 2018 | Succeeded by |