Ellie Breaux, who held the title of Miss Tarrant County and Miss Texas, won runner-up in the Miss America pageant in Florida.
“I feel incredibly blessed for the opportunity to have earned 1st runner-up at Miss America,” Breaux said on Instagram. “This journey, marked by perseverance and dedication, proved to be entirely worthwhile. Representing my home state and conveying a message of unity fills me with great pride. A heartfelt thank you to @missamerica for making this week an absolute joy. I am thrilled to now have 50 new sisters across the nation to connect with and visit!”
Breaux’s dance team from UNT, the North Texas Dancers, congratulated her on the runner-up title on X (formerly Twitter).
We are so proud of Miss Texas Ellie Breaux for representing Texas, @UNTsocial and our program so graciously on the @MissAmerica stage! You are truly magic personified and we are thrilled to celebrate you in all that you do! We 💚 you! #missamerica #bringbackthemagic #misstexas pic.twitter.com/rfHsvYvT0u
— North Texas Dancers (@ntxdancers) January 15, 2024
The event saw the participation of fifty-one contestants, each representing one of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. After three nights of preliminaries, the pageant selected 11 semi-finalists at the main event — 10 chosen by judges and one by public vote from fans across the United States.
Miss Colorado claimed the victory. Making history, Madison Marsh, a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force, became the first active-duty service member to ever clinch the title.
“To @madiisabellaa, you're undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with,” Breaux said. “You are a beautiful woman that is going to carry that crown with grace and poise. I am genuinely thrilled to witness your year, and rest assured, I'll be right by your side, offering unwavering support!”
Utilizing her platform, Breaux shed light on the community service initiative known as Cops in the Community. The objective is to foster a positive relationship between community members and law enforcement officers. She elaborated that her inspiration for this initiative stems from her father, who serves as a Houston police officer.
“I believe in the value of trust and cultivating mutual respect between police officers and the communities that they serve,” Breaux previously said. “Being the daughter of a Houston police officer, I have the unique opportunity to engage in bridging our communities and police officers to better understand one another. My goal is for our children to perceive police officers as heroes.”
