Miss USA 2020’s First Runner Up Is None Other Than Miss Idaho!

Don't you just love hearing when someone from your home state does something cool?! One thing I've learned is that Idahoans are proud of their own in the best way! Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul is the biggest name that comes to mind when I think of this. Heck, you can see an image of him painted in Freak Alley! Comedian Ryan Hamilton also hails from Idaho. He has his own netflix special and has guested on multiple late night talk shows, including The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Now add Kim Layne to the list!

Last night Kim Layne competed representing Idaho against 50 other women in the 69th  Miss USA pageant. After the competition was whittled down to 16 women, Miss Idaho made the cut! Following the swimsuit competition 6 women were axed but Layne was not one of them. After the evening gown portion the remaining 10 became the final 5.

Here's where things got nitty gritty: the question and answer portion. She was asked if she agrees with recent protests calling for police reform and what steps should be taken if so. Though her statement was brief she agreed reform should take place, suggesting education and re-training for officers and expressed its importance as minorities and marginalized groups are suffering.

The last task of the night was to give a final statement on a category picked from a glass box. Her topic to discuss was mental health reform. Kim pointed out mental health is often not addressed until it causes problems and cited a holistic approach starting in childhood as a preventative measure for more serious issues down the road.

After judge deliberations, Miss Idaho was crowned as 1st runner up, falling just short of Miss Mississippi for the title. 2nd place out of 51 contestants, not to mention the countless pageants she had to win leading up to Miss USA, I am impressed! She took to Instagram today to express her gratitude for the experience and all who supported her:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHah82HnIgu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Safe to say if I ever run into her at Albertsons or something, I'm totally going to fangirl. Go follow her on Instagram and support our Miss Idaho!