Cara Mund, the former Miss America who gained attention by criticising the pageant at the end of her 2018 reign, plans to run for Congress in North Dakota as an independent.
Ms Mund announced her candidacy on social media and said she would start gathering the 1,000 signatures she needed to get on the ballot.
She said on Wednesday that her concern about abortion rights prompted her to launch her independent bid for the US House in her home state.
The US Supreme Court's ruling to overturn a constitutional right to abortion was "just a moment where I knew we need more women in office", Ms Mund told AP.
The Harvard Law School and Brown University graduate was an intern for Republican Senator John Hoeven in Washington and was his guest at the State of the Union address in 2018.
"I don't really identify as a Democrat or Republican, but rather just as an American. I'm a person, not a party," Ms Mund posted on her Facebook page.
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The new Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu of India gestures to the audience after being crowned at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant. EPA -
Harnaaz Sandhu waves after being crowned Miss Universe. AP Photo -
Miss Universe contestants congratulate Miss India, Harnaaz Sandhu, as she is crowned Miss Universe. AFP -
India's Harnaaz Sandhu waves after being crowned Miss Universe 2021 during the 70th Miss Universe pageant in Eilat, Israel. AP Photo -
Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza, right, crowns India's Harnaaz Sandhu as Miss Universe 2021. AP Photo -
Miss Paraguay Nadia Ferreira, left, embraces Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu after the winner is announced. AFP -
Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu, right, reacts as she wins Miss Universe 2021. EPA -
Outgoing Miss Universe Andrea Meza of Mexico places a crown on the head of Miss Universe winner Harnaaz Sandhu of India. Reuters -
Harnaaz Sandhu poses during the pageant. EPA -
The top three finalists: Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane, Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu, and Miss Paraguay Nadia Ferreira. EPA -
Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu during the swimsuit competition of the 70th Miss Universe pageant. AFP -
Harnaaz Sandhu wears a maroon cap-sleeved one-piece swimsuit during the swimwear portion of the competition. AFP -
US television and pageant host Steve Harvey asks Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu the final question during the 70th Miss Universe competition. AFP -
During the national costume segment, she wore a gold embellished lehenga, and carried a traditional wedding parasol. AFP -
Harnaaz Sandhu during the preliminary stage of the 70th Miss Universe pageant. AFP
If she obtains the signatures, she will face Republican Congressman Kelly Armstrong, who is seeking a second term, and Democrat Mark Haugen of Bismarck, a University of Maryland graduate adviser and former paramedic.
“I am so proud to be a North Dakotan,” Ms Mund said. “It would be an honour and a privilege to represent the people of our state in Congress.
"I am ready to get to work and look forward to putting North Dakotans first.”
Ms Mund, who was Miss North Dakota, won the crown on a platform of increasing the number of women elected to political office.
In one of her onstage interviews, she said then-president Donald Trump was wrong to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Accord aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.
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A person holds a sign reading "Women Will Die" as activists gather at the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC. AFP -
An anti-abortion protester speaks outside the US Supreme Court after the leak of a draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito preparing for the court to overturn the Roe v Wade abortion rights decision later this year. Reuters -
A protester holds a sign for the pro-choice Planned Parenthood organisation. AFP -
The Roe v Wade decision recognised that the right to personal privacy under the US Constitution protects a woman's ability to terminate her pregnancy. Getty Images -
A demonstrator outside the court. AFP -
A woman cries during the protests. AFP -
Demonstrators place candles outside the court. AFP -
Protesters chant slogans. Reuters -
Police installed metal barricades to prevent protesters from entering the court building. AFP -
Demonstrators use candlelight during the evening protest. AFP -
US Senator Elizabeth Warren joined abortion rights activists outside the US Supreme Court on Tuesday. Photo: Public Domain
