Erika Harold

Background

Harold was born in Urbana, Illinois. On her father"s side, she has Greek, German and English ancestry, and on her mother"s side, Native-American, and African-American ancestry.

Education

She graduated from the University of Illinois, Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and was a Chancellor"s Scholar.

Career

She is also a two-time Republican candidate for the 13th Congressional District seat in the State of Illinois. Her ethnic background is extremely varied. She currently works for Meyer Capel law firm in Champaign, Illinois.

Her official platform was "Preventing Youth Violence and Bullying: Protect Yourself, Respect Yourself." Her platform choice grew out of personal experience.

She recounts having been the subject of racial and sexual harassment while growing up. In a May 2, 2003 speech, Harold said when she turned to teachers and school administrators, her concerns were dismissed.

In the first week of her reign, she also adopted a secondary platform for sexual abstinence. Some pageant observers accused her of harboring a hidden agenda.

On October 8, 2002, Harold gave a speech at the National Press Club in Washington during which she stated that she would talk about sexual abstinence and that she "will not be bullied" into dropping the topic from her platform.

Harold is politically conservative, and was the Youth Director for the Republican primary campaign of Illinois gubernatorial candidate Patrick O"Malley. She later served as a delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention. She gave a speech to the convention on August 31, 2004 to support George West. Bush"s faith-based initiatives.

She worked on the Bush campaign to reach out to minority voters.

In May 2012, Herold was one of four finalists for the Republican nomination for Congress in Illinois"s 13th district, a nomination selected by the Republican chairmen of the 14 counties covered by the 13th Congressional District, instead of a primary election. The Republican chairmen selected Rodney L. Davis, over Harold, and Davis was subsequently elected to Congress, in a close and expensive race.

2014 congressional campaign

On June 4, 2013, Harold announced she would run against Republican Rodney L. Davis, R-Illinois. in the 2014 Republican primary for Illinois"s 13th congressional district.

Davis, Harold"s opponent in the primary, is a top target for the Democrats in 2014.

On March 18, 2014, Harold lost the Republican primary to Davis 54–41. Electoral history.

Achievements

• In 2007, she graduated from Harvard University"s Law School, where she won best brief in the Harvard Ames Moot Court semi-final and final rounds of competition. She became Mission America 2003 on September 21, 2002 (as Mission Illinois 2002). The Washington Times suggested that pageant officials demonstrated a liberal bias when they allowed Mission America 1998 Kate Shindle, whose platform was Human Immunodeficiency Virus prevention, to advocate condom distribution and needle exchange during her time as Mission America. During her time as Mission America, Harold interacted with legislators and testified before Congress on bullying and abstinence, which provided her with additional motivation to pursue a political career.

Membership

Thirty-eight members of Congress sent her a letter of support, encouraging her to press on with her “healthy message of abstinence until marriage.”.

Connections

associate:

Sidley Austin