Erika Harold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erika Harold
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Harold in St. Louis, Missouri, in January 2014
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Erika Natalie Louise Harold
February 20, 1980 Urbana, Illinois, US
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| Education | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Title | Miss Illinois 2002 Miss America 2003 |
| Predecessor | Katie Harman |
| Successor | Ericka Dunlap |
| Political party | Republican |
Erika Natalie Louise Harold (born February 20, 1980) is an American lawyer and politician. She was also crowned Miss America in 2003.
Erika Harold was first named Miss Illinois in 2002. The next year, she became Miss America 2003. Her main goal during her time as Miss America was to fight against bullying. Later, she entered the world of politics. In 2014, she ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress for Illinois. In 2018, she was the Republican candidate for Illinois Attorney General.
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Erika Harold's Early Life and Career
Erika Harold was born in Urbana, Illinois. Her family background includes different cultures. On her father's side, she has Greek, German, and English roots. On her mother's side, she has both Native American and African-American heritage.
She went to the University of Illinois. There, she earned a degree in political science. She was a very good student, graduating with high honors. In 2007, she earned her law degree from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, she won awards for her legal writing and speaking skills.
After law school, Erika Harold worked as a lawyer in Chicago, Illinois. She worked for several law firms, handling different types of cases. In 2022, she was chosen by the Illinois Supreme Court for an important role. She became the executive director of the Commission on Professionalism. This group works to make sure lawyers act ethically.
Winning Miss America
Erika Harold became Miss America 2003 on September 21, 2002. She had first won the title of Miss Illinois 2002. During her time as Miss America, she focused on a special cause. Her official platform was "Preventing Youth Violence and Bullying: Protect Yourself, Respect Yourself."
As part of her work, she became a national spokesperson. She worked with "Fight Crime: Invest in Kids." This is a group that supports programs to help children and prevent crime. She traveled across the country to speak about the importance of stopping bullying and youth violence.
Erika Harold in Politics
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Erika Harold is a member of the Republican Party. Early in her political journey, she helped with campaigns. She was the Youth Director for Patrick O'Malley's campaign for governor of Illinois. She also served as a delegate at the 2004 Republican National Convention. At this convention, she gave a speech to support President George W. Bush's programs. She also worked to help the Bush campaign connect with minority voters.
In 2012, Harold was considered for a Republican nomination for Congress. This nomination was chosen by party leaders, not by a public vote. She was one of four finalists, but another candidate, Rodney L. Davis, was chosen. He later won the election for Congress.
Running for Congress in 2014
On June 4, 2013, Erika Harold announced she would run for Congress. She decided to challenge Rodney L. Davis, who was already in office. She ran in the Republican primary election for Illinois's 13th congressional district. The election took place on March 18, 2014. Harold lost the primary to Davis, getting 41% of the votes. Davis received 54%.
Running for Illinois Attorney General in 2018
On August 15, 2017, Harold announced her plan to run for Illinois Attorney General. She sought the Republican nomination for this important state office. On March 20, 2018, she won the Republican primary election. She received 59% of the votes, beating Gary Grasso.
In the general election, Erika Harold faced Democrat Kwame Raoul. She lost the election, receiving 42.7% of the votes. Kwame Raoul won with 54.7%.
Images for kids
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Harold in St. Louis, Missouri, in January 2014
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Sign for Urbana, Illinois honoring Harold
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Miss America 2003 Erika Harold at a news conference at the National Press Club discussing her campaign to fight youth violence in 2002
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Miss America 2003 Erika Harold
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Harold at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2014
