11 September, 2017
In a video posted to Twitter after the competition, Mund said she was honored to win the crown.
Cara Mund, the 23-year-old Miss North Dakota, won the crown Sunday night in Atlantic City.
Mund was named the victor out of 51 contestants - one from each state plus the District of Columbia - who competed to take the place of outgoing Miss America, Savvy Shields, formerly Miss Arkansas. (Across both her questions, she literally told the judges the #1 item on her bucket list was advancing through the Miss America semi-finals for the win, and later astutely rebuked President Trump's decision to remove the USA from the Paris Agreement.) It was intense, but also a good fun pageant time.
"It's a bad decision", she said. Upon answering the Q&A part about her number 1 wish on her bucket list, she simply said that it would be fantastic is she won the pageant for the first time in history.
The event got political after the Miss America candidates were asked multiple questions about the current political climate and President Trump during the question-and-answer session.
"He is our president and we need to support him", Mund said.
The Bismarck, North Dakota, resident emerged victorious through a series of swimsuit and talent contests, onstage speeches and two rounds of interviews by judges.
Aside from her interest in joining beauty pageants, the crowned queen has previously expressed her desire to enter the world of politics in hopes to be the first woman elected as governor of North Dakota. Moreover, in a total of 51 women, Mund wins the title. "In health care and on reproductive rights, it's predominantly men making those decisions".
Miss North Dakota Cara Mund becomes the first from her state to take the Miss America crown.
