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 on February 20, 1980, is an American lawyer and politician. She is also known for being a former Miss America.
Harold was crowned Miss Illinois in 2002 and then became Miss America 2003. During her time as Miss America, her main goal was to help stop bullying. Later, she decided to run for political office. She sought to represent Illinois in the U.S. Congress and also ran for the position of Illinois Attorney General.
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Early Life and Education
Erika Harold was born in Urbana, Illinois. She has a diverse family background, including Greek, German, English, Native American, and African-American heritage.
She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned a degree in political science. She was a very good student, graduating with high honors. Later, in 2007, she earned her law degree from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, she won an award for her legal writing in a special competition.
After law school, Harold worked as a lawyer in Chicago and later in Champaign, Illinois. She handled cases involving business disputes. In 2022, the Illinois Supreme Court chose her to lead the Commission on Professionalism. This group helps lawyers in Illinois follow high standards of conduct.
Becoming Miss America
Erika Harold became Miss America 2003 on September 21, 2002. She had first won the title of Miss Illinois 2002. Her main message as Miss America was "Preventing Youth Violence and Bullying: Protect Yourself, Respect Yourself."
Harold chose this topic because she had experienced bullying herself when she was younger. She shared that when she tried to get help from teachers, her concerns were sometimes not taken seriously. As part of her work, she became a national speaker for a group called Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. This group works to prevent youth violence.
During her time as Miss America, Harold also spoke about making healthy choices. She gave speeches and talked with lawmakers about bullying and making good decisions. These experiences helped her decide that she wanted to work in politics.
Political Career
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Erika Harold is a member of the Republican Party. Early in her political involvement, she helped with a Republican campaign for governor in Illinois. She also attended the 2004 Republican National Convention. At the convention, she gave a speech supporting programs that help communities through faith-based organizations. She also worked to encourage minority voters to support the Bush campaign.
In 2012, Harold was considered for a Republican nomination to run for Congress in Illinois. However, another candidate was chosen instead.
Running for Congress in 2014
On June 4, 2013, Erika Harold announced that she would run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She sought the Republican nomination for Illinois's 13th congressional district. She ran against the person who already held the seat, Rodney L. Davis. On March 18, 2014, Harold lost the Republican primary election to Davis.
Running for Illinois Attorney General in 2018
On August 15, 2017, Harold announced her plan to run for Illinois Attorney General. This position is the chief legal officer for the state. On March 20, 2018, she won the Republican nomination for Attorney General. She received 59% of the votes in her primary election.
In the general election, she ran against the Democratic candidate, Kwame Raoul. Harold lost the election, receiving 43% of the votes compared to Raoul's 55%.
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
