A number of beauty queens have run and been elected for political office and have become prominent politicians, and it has been said that "participation in beauty pageants can serve as a path to power for women".
National officeholders
Belgium
Botswana
Colombia
Ecuador
El Salvador
Finland
Germany
Indonesia
Israel
Jamaica
Latvia
Malta
Philippines
Romania
Sri Lanka
United States
Local officeholders
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Chile
France
Indonesia
Italy
Philippines
United Kingdom
United States
- Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Miss Nevada 2002
- Majority Leader of the Nevada Assembly (2016âÂÂ2022)
- Member of the Nevada Assembly from the 27th district (2010âÂÂ2022)
- Lynette Boggs, Miss Oregon 1989
- Member of the Clark County Commission (2004âÂÂ2006)
- Member of the Las Vegas City Council (1999âÂÂ2004)
- Ana Nisi Goyco, Miss World Puerto Rico 1972
- Member of the Puerto Rico Senate from the Ponce district (1980âÂÂ1992)
- Amber Hulse, Miss South Dakota USA 2023 and Miss South Dakota 2019
- Member of the South Dakota Senate from the 30th district (2025âÂÂpresent)
- Jane Anne Jayroe, Miss America 1967 and Miss Oklahoma 1966
- Oklahoma Secretary of Tourism and Recreation (1999âÂÂ2003)
- Director of the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation (1999âÂÂ2003)
- Jeanné Kapela, Miss Hawaii 2015
- Member of Hawaii House of Representatives from the 5th district (2020âÂÂpresent)
- Rebecca Kleefisch, Miss Ohio Teen USA 1994
- Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (2011âÂÂ2019)
- Shantel Krebs, Miss South Dakota 1997
- Secretary of State of South Dakota (2015âÂÂ2019)
- Member of the South Dakota Senate from the 10th district (2011âÂÂ2015)
- Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from the 10th district (2005âÂÂ2011)
- Sue Lowden, Miss New Jersey 1973 and Miss District of Columbia USA 1971
- Member of the Nevada Senate from the Clark 3 district (1993âÂÂ1997)
- Lauren Matsumoto, Miss Hawaii 2011
- Minority Leader of the Hawaii House of Representatives (2022âÂÂpresent)
- Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 45th district (2012âÂÂpresent)
- Melanie Miller, Miss Ohio 2006
- Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 67th district (2023âÂÂpresent)
- Bess Myerson, Miss America 1945 and Miss New York City 1945
- Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (1983âÂÂ1987)
- Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (1969âÂÂ1973)
- Sarah Palin, Miss Wasilla 1984
- Governor of Alaska (2006âÂÂ2009)
- Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (2003âÂÂ2004)
- Mayor of Wasilla (1996âÂÂ2002)
- Member of the Wasilla City Council from Ward E (1992âÂÂ1996)
- Melanie Stambaugh, Daffodil Queen 2009
- Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 25th district (2015âÂÂ2019)
- Evelyn Vázquez, Mrs. Puerto Rico
- Member of the Puerto Rico Senate from the Mayagüez-Aguadilla district (2009âÂÂ2013; 2017âÂÂ2020)
- Shelli Yoder, Miss Indiana 1993
- Minority Leader of the Indiana Senate (2025âÂÂpresent)
- Member of the Indiana Senate from the 40th district (2020âÂÂpresent)
- Member of the Monroe County Council from the 1st district (2013âÂÂ2020)
Venezuela
Political candidates
In addition to political officeholders, several former beauty pageant titleholders have campaigned for political office but were not elected.
- Sharifa Akeel, Miss Asia Pacific International 2018 and Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia Pacific International 2018
- 2022 Sultan Kudarat gubernatorial election
- Nafisa Ali, Femina Miss India 1976
- 2009 Indian general election
- Amie Beth Dickinson, Miss Alabama 1994
- 2014 Republican primary for the Alabama House of Representatives election in the 43rd district
- Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 2004 and Miss Florida 2003
- 2017 Orlando City Council election in the 5th district
- Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, Miss Ohio USA 2014
- 2022 U.S. House of Representatives election in Ohio's 13th district
- Mallory Hagan, Miss America 2013 and Miss New York 2012
- 2018 U.S. House of Representatives election in Alabama's 3rd district
- Erika Harold, Miss America 2003 and Miss Illinois 2002
- 2018 Illinois Attorney General election
- 2014 Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives election in Illinois's 13th district
- Heather French Henry, Miss America 2000 and Miss Kentucky 1999
- 2019 Kentucky Secretary of State election
- Lupita Jones, Miss Universe 1991 and Señorita México 1990
- 2021 Baja California gubernatorial election
- Jessica Jordan, Miss Bolivia 2007
- 2013 Beni special gubernatorial election
- 2010 Beni gubernatorial election
- Aurore Kichenin, Miss World France 2017 and Miss Languedoc-Roussillon 2016
- 2021 French regional elections in Occitanie
- Gabriela Markus, Miss Brazil 2012 and Miss Rio Grande do Sul 2012
- 2014 Brazilian general election
- Angela McGlowan, Miss District of Columbia USA 1994
- 2010 Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives election in Mississippi's 1st district
- Carmen MarÃÂa Montiel, Miss Venezuela 1984
- 2022 U.S. House of Representatives election in Texas's 18th district
- Cara Mund, Miss America 2018 and Miss North Dakota 2017
- 2024 Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives election in North Dakota's at-large district
- 2022 U.S. House of Representatives election in North Dakota's at-large district
- Gul Panag, Femina Miss India 1999
- 2014 Indian general election
- Michele Rollins, Miss USA World 1963, Miss New York City World 1963, and Miss District of Columbia USA 1963
- 2010 Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives election in Delaware's at-large congressional district
- Jade Simmons, Miss Illinois 1999
- 2020 United States presidential election
- Lisa Song Sutton, Miss Nevada United States 2014
- 2020 Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives election in Nevada's 4th district
- Shamcey Supsup-Lee, Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2011
- 2022 Philippine House of Representatives Party-list election
References