8 Rules Miss Maine USA Pageant Contestants Have to Follow (Yes, Including Jordon Hudson)

Yahoo

11-05-2025

The Miss Maine USA pageant takes place this weekend and it's already causing a lot of buzz.
There are several notable names among this year's contestants, including Isabelle St. Cyr, the first transgender contestant to compete in the pageant, and Bill Belichick's girlfriend Jordon Hudson.
Hudson, who is a Maine native raised in Hancock, announced her pageant participation with an Instagram post on April 9 in celebration of International Pageant Day. She revealed that she'll be representing her hometown in the competition.
According to the Miss Maine USA website, the pageant is produced by the Clemente Organization and its founders Laurie Clemente and her husband Anthony. They also helm the state pageant in Massachusetts.
"The Clemente Organization stresses the importance of good sportsmanship, a strong sense of character, and building friendships, and provides a forum for young woman to reach their goals in a positive environment," per the website.
Miss Maine USA, which is a part of the Miss Universe Organization, has evolved its rules in recent years. They include eligibility guidelines, outfits contestants must wear, various rounds participants must endure and more.
According to the Miss Maine USA website, organizers are searching for "diverse young women" who possess more than just beauty, emphasizing intelligence and willingness to "share their hearts and minds as ambassadors" of the state and nation.
"Winning titles of this magnitude catapults young women to instant fame where they simultaneously become role models," the site continues. "There is no end to the possibilities and opportunities that await, and their year as titleholders is certain to be one full of personal growth and development."
Ahead of the pageant this weekend, read on for the rules Miss Maine USA contestants must follow!
Related: 11 Rules Miss USA Contestants Have to Follow (Including a Few New Ones)
Those interested in participating in Miss Maine USA must meet a specific age requirement, per the organization's website. They must be born in 2006 or earlier, making contestants 18 years or older.
If interested and younger than 18 (born between 2006 and 2010), contestant hopefuls can apply for Miss Teen USA. If born in 2006, applicants can choose either division to compete.
Contestants must be United States citizens to compete in Miss Maine USA, including being born in the states or through naturalization. If not, participation is not allowed.
In 2012, the Miss USA pageant changed its rules to be more inclusive of transgender women, as previously reported by NPR. The Miss Maine USA website, states that contestants must "represent and warrant that you are a female," adding that they should be "recognized medically and legally as a female in the United States" to participate in the pageant.
This year, Isabelle St. Cyr will be the first transgender woman to compete in the pageant, following the rule change.
"I'm just doing it because I love pageants and I just happen to be trans,' St. Cyr told Maine's Piscataquis Observer. 'I want to show everyone that trans women absolutely can do this pageant and can do well.'
Clemente Organization assistant director Ava Clemente also told the outlet, "The Miss Universe Organization is committed to being inclusive and reflective of the evolving values of our society... We celebrate all women who embody the values of confidence, community and empowerment that the Miss USA program represents."
Those who want to participate in Miss Maine USA must be — you guessed it — a resident of Maine. Full-time college students in the state of Maine are also allowed.
For Hudson, she's been vocal about her love for her hometown on social media. She has been a longtime champion of the fishing industry, and previously spoke to PEOPLE exclusively about her "nautical family history."
The former Bridgewater State cheerleader has also voiced her political beliefs. In early March, Hudson issued a 'plea' in an open letter to the White House and Donald Trump, asking the president to reconsider the recent decision to cut the federally funded Maine Sea Grant.
"I am Jordon and I speak for the fishermen," she wrote in part on Instagram in a lengthy caption. "I speak for the fishermen, for the fishermen who have no voice."
Miss Maine USA consists of three competition phases, all of which contestants are required to participate in. For Miss Maine USA specifically, they include the swimsuit round, the evening gown round and the interview round.
These rounds are preliminary and judged. "Contestants with the highest composite scores become semifinalists," per the organization's website.
For the evening gown round, contestants must wear dresses that they selected themselves.
"Attention is focused on each contestant's overall appearance, self-confidence, and the beauty she brings to the gown of her choice," per the event's site. "Judges are instructed to evaluate the contestant, not the dress she is wearing."
While having previous pageant experience will only benefit a contestant, it isn't required to participate in Miss Maine USA. "No previous pageant experience is necessary," the organization's website reads.
While Miss Maine USA has common rounds like swimsuit and evening gown, it does not have a talent round like other pageants.
Read the original article on People