2026 Mrs. Ohio America Samantha Elder.
Samantha Elder grew up watching magnificence pageants however by no means actually thought she’d be in a single, not to mention win. But because the newly topped Mrs. Ohio America, she’s excited to share her platform of positivity and illustration.
“I’ll be (speaking) to a lot of girls and girls’ organizations and clubs to talk with them about the importance of confidence and building self-esteem,” Elder stated.
“I think young girls really need to hear other perspectives and representation for what a woman can be. We can be anything we want to be. We can have a career. We can have a family. We can give back to our community. They all can co-exist, which is a beautiful thing I want to be transparent about. And it doesn’t come with not having a little bit of what I like to call hot mess. But I want to be very honest and real with this title and be that good, positive role model for little girls.”
Elder, 37, was inspired to affix the pageant world via her friendship circle with Mrs. Ohio American 2024 Samantha Redden. She was intrigued by Redden’s journey and finally felt it might be equally enjoyable and galvanizing to pursue.
“She showed us everything she was doing, all the community and advocacy work she was also doing,” Elder stated. “So, two years later, I finally decided to go ahead and take the leap.”
After looking for approval from her 12-year-old daughter Ellie, and husband, Gordon, she solidified her plan.
“I started working with a walking coach, I started doing interview prep and watching my fitness routine a little more closely,” she stated. “I was ready to compete and started to commit fully to the journey.”
The Mrs. Ohio America pageant befell Saturday, June 13 on the Knox County Memorial Theater in Mount Vernon. Elder admits being part of the competitors was a win itself however to obtain recognition for the perfect interview and in the end be topped was a joyous, grateful victory.
“I was there to enjoy the experience. I just wanted to soak it all in because it was my very first pageant,” she stated. “I didn’t really know what to expect because people can tell you what it’s like but until you actually go through it you really have no idea. I was so surprised in such a positive, good way. I was so shocked. It was overwhelming. My family and friends drove two hours to Mount Vernon to watch me compete so they had a nice cheering section going for me. Hearing them brought me to tears. I was there all weekend, I gave everything and I was also in heels for four hours so my feet hurt. I was also mentally and physically exhausted. But to hear your support system in the audience screaming and cheering for you – I was overwhelmed with gratitude.”
Elder additionally loved greedy the total scope of the pageant world from the within.
“I feel like society paints a picture of these (competitions) as ‘beauty pageants’ but I’m so happy to see that it is more of a reflection of your intellect and community service than anything else that is physical,” she stated. “I think that is a beautiful thing because you’re highlighting what is within a woman versus focusing so much on the exterior.”
Samantha Elder is topped 2026 Mrs. Ohio America.
Elder is ceaselessly acknowledged as an advocate for girls in management, neighborhood engagement and psychological well being consciousness. She was president of the Dayton Children’s Hospital Women’s Board and present member of the Dayton Children’s Foundation Board, a former member of the Gala of Hope Advisory Board, a graduate of Leadership Dayton, and a former Dayton Business Journal Forty Under 40 recipient.
In addition the Vandalia-Butler High School graduate has a grasp’s of public affairs from Indiana University Bloomington and a bachelor’s in political science from Wright State University the place she was additionally honored as their Graduate of the Last Decade. She at present serves as a senior advertising and marketing communications and stakeholder engagement chief for AES Ohio.
“This community has given so much to me and my family and we feel obligated to pour back into it,” Elder stated. “I now see this as an opportunity to spread the work I’ve been doing, especially with children, throughout Ohio. I’ll also do what I like to call coffee talks, meeting with potential women who are interested in pursuing this path as well just to talk about my experience and help with recruitment numbers. This was such a positive experience. I want others, especially those women who are more career-oriented who feel like they don’t have the time or feel this isn’t necessarily for them, to have the information they need so they can compete and have a positive experience as well.”
2026 Mrs. Ohio America Samantha Elder along with her husband, Gordon, and daughter, Ellie.
Elder will compete for the title of Mrs. America on the Westgate Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, Sept. 3. A giant a part of her preparation is selecting a state costume and he or she’s conserving Dayton prime of thoughts.
“I plan to pay homage to Dayton and Ohio’s rich history in funk music,” she stated. “I’m excited to bring a little piece of home to the national stage.”
Above all, she’s wanting to symbolize Ohio to the fullest.
“I hope I make my community and state proud,” Elder stated. “I want to represent all of those hard-working moms out there. I want to go out there and give it my all and know at the end of the day I tried my hardest and I had an amazing support system and community behind me cheering me on every step of the way. Those are my hopes ultimately win or lose from this entire experience at nationals.”
For extra info or to ebook Elder for engagements, go to ohioamericapageants.com.
You also can observe Elder on Instagram.