Cara Mund

Cara Mund
Born	(1993-12-08) December 8, 1993 (age 30) 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 North Dakota 2018 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 from Bismarck, North Dakota. In June 2017, she was crowned Miss North Dakota 2017. On September 10, 2017, she was crowned Miss America 2018 in Atlantic City and became the first contestant from North Dakota to win the competition.

Early life and education

Mund was born in Bismarck, North Dakota to DeLora Kautzmann-Mund and Doug Mund.^[4]

Mund is a choreographer and dancer.^[5] In high school, she trained four summers with the Radio 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 the Make-a-Wish Foundation.^[3] In high school, Mund served as her school's National Honor Society president, graduated as one of her class' valedictorians, and was voted "most likely to become Miss America."^[8]

Mund in Atlantic City after being crowned Miss America 2018

She graduated with honors from Brown 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 the sorority Kappa Delta.^[10] She has said that the school helped her "think on [her] feet."^[9]

From August to December 2016, she interned for Republican Senator John 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 attend law school.^[3] In May 2022, Mund graduated from Harvard 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]

Pageantry

Early pageantry

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 in Miss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen 2010 as Miss Red River Valley's Outstanding Teen. She went on to win the competition, and competed in Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2011.^[3] She later was the 4th runner-up at the Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2012 pageant.^[20]

Miss North Dakota

Mund's USO visits

Mund competed in Miss North Dakota 2016 as Miss Oil Country, 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]

Miss America 2018

Mund represented North Dakota in the Miss America 2018 competition held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic 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.^[21]

On September 10, 2017, Mund was crowned Miss America 2018 by Miss America 2017 Savvy Shields.^{[22][23][24][25]} 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.^[26]

During her reign, Mund served as the 2018 National Goodwill Ambassador for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and worked closely with the USO.^[27][28] In solidarity with the #MeToo movement, she wore black to the 2018 State of the Union, and in the March/April 2018 issue of the alumni magazine of her Ivy 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."^[29] 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."^[30]

On December 8, 2019, Mund became the first and so far only^[when?] Miss America to judge the Miss Universe competition.^[31]

Politics

2022 House of Representatives election

On August 6, 2022, Mund announced her candidacy as an independent to represent North Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives.^[32][33] She cited the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision as her motivation to enter the race.^[34] Mark Haugen, the Democratic–NPL candidate, withdrew from the race following her candidacy.^[35] She lost the election to incumbent Republican Kelly Armstrong by a vote of 148,399 (62.2%) to 89,644 (37.6%).^[36]

2024 House of Representatives election

On April 8, 2024, Mund filed paperwork and announced she would run in the NDGOP primary to replace Armstrong as he ran for governor.^[37] Mund campaigned as being a pro-choice, anti-Trump Republican candidate.^[38][39]

On June 11, 2024, Mund lost the primary. Coming in third, she received 19%. Former state legislator Rick Becker and public service commissioner Julie Fedorchak came in second and first, respectively.^[40]

Legal career

Mund is currently an associate with Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP where she practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation, including white-collar criminal defense, bankruptcy, and employment matters.^[41]

References

1. "Cara Mund running for US House in Republican primary". Bismarck Tribune. April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
2. "Happy 17th Birthday, Cara Mund". Bismarck Tribune. 5 December 2010.
3. "Bismarck's Cara Mund crowned Miss North Dakota". Grand Forks Herald. June 12, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
4. "Miss North Dakota". Miss America Organization. Archived from the original on September 10, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
5. Gore, Leada (2017-09-11). "Miss America 2018: Miss North Dakota wins the crown". al.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
6. "Miss America 2018 is an Alumni[sic] of the Rockettes Summer Intensive". The Rockettes. 14 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
7. "Women's History Month: Celebrating Successful Rockette Women". The Rockettes. Retrieved 2019-03-13.^{[permanent dead link]}
8. Carroll, Lauren. "Miss America Cara Mund talks "dreams coming true" and granting wishes". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
9. Sloan, Louise (March–April 2018). "Miss America, Feminist". Brown Alumni Monthly. www.brownalumnimagazine.com.
10. "Cara Mund". Linkedin.com. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
11. Dalrymple, Amy (September 12, 2017). "Mund proud to put North Dakota 'on the map' as state's first Miss America". Bismarck Tribune.
12. "House Concurrent Resolution No. 3035" (PDF).
13. "ND style fashion exhibition opens in ND Heritage Center & State Museum". minotdailynews.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
14. "JSEL Leadership". Retrieved 2022-01-11.
15. "Previous Members – Harvard Law School Mock Trial Association". Archived from the original on 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
16. Simon, Clea. "'I was able to feel like I was making an impact'". Harvard Law Today. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
17. "North Dakota Court System - 37 new lawyers admitted to N.D. bar". www.ndcourts.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
18. "North Dakota Court System". www.ndcourts.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
19. Feldman, Kate (September 10, 2017). "Miss North Dakota, Cara Mund, wins Miss America 2018". NY Daily News.
20. "Miss North Dakota USA & Teen USA state pageant results". Pageant Update Results. Archived from the original on 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
21. Morgan, Ike (September 8, 2017). "Miss Alabama Jessica Procter wins Miss America Quality of Life Award". AL.com. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
22. Rees, Alex (September 10, 2017). "Miss North Dakota, Cara Mund, Wins Miss America 2018". Cosmopolitan.
23. Weigle, Lauren (September 10, 2017). "Who Won the Miss America 2018 Pageant Tonight?". heavy.com.
24. Wilson, Samantha (September 10, 2017). "Miss North Dakota, Cara Mund, Slays The Competition & Becomes Miss America 2018". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
25. "The Latest: Miss North Dakota is crowned Miss America 2018". The Washington Post. Associated Press. September 10, 2017. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017.
26. Moniuszko, Sara M. (September 10, 2017). "Miss America 2018: Miss North Dakota Cara Mund takes the crown". USA Today.
27. "Miss America promotes Make-A-Wish at Gala". Retrieved 2018-11-06.
28. Demeyer, Tess (2018-02-08). "From Brown to the crown: Cara Mund '16". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
29. Argetsinger, Amy (August 17, 2018). "'No Miss America should be humiliated': Before giving up crown, Cara Mund blasts pageant leadership". The Washington Post.
30. "Cara Mund letter to past pageant winners". Press of Atlantic City. 17 August 2018.
31. "Miss Universe Home". Miss Universe. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
32. "Cara Mund: Why she's running for Congress". KX NEWS. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
33. "Ex-Miss America Mund: Abortion ruling prompted US House run". AP NEWS. 2022-08-10. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
34. "Ex-Miss America Mund: Abortion ruling prompted US House run". AP News. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
35. "Ex-Miss America Mund's entry pushes Dem out of ND House race". AP News. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
36. "Cara Mund". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
37. "Former Miss America Cara Mund announces bid for US House as a Republican". 8 April 2024.
38. "Ex-Miss America-turned-GOP House candidate is pushing abortion as a conservative issue". USA Today.
39. "Cara Mund says North Dakota's U.S. House representative needs to not be dependent on Donald Trump". 22 April 2024.
40. Gick, Justin. "Fedorchak wins Republican primary for North Dakota's US House seat, advances to November election". KFYR TV. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
41. "Cara Mund | Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP". www.quinnemanuel.com. Retrieved 2024-01-16.

External links

• Official website

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Macy Christianson	Miss North Dakota 2017	Succeeded by Lizzie Jensen
Preceded by Savvy Shields	Miss America 2018	Succeeded by Nia Franklin