The newly crowned Miss Maine USA who represented Bangor has few discernible ties to the Queen City, according to her social media pages and public profiles.
Shelby Howell won the title of Miss Maine USA during the annual two-day competition in Portland on Sunday. She beat two other high-profile contestants for the crown — Jordon Hudson, who’s dating former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and Isabelle St. Cyr, the competition’s first transgender contestant.
Howell represented Bangor during the competition, but Howell’s first social media post showing her in the Queen City was published only about 10 weeks before the pageant.
The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles shows Howell appears to have a Maine drivers license, and Christine Stewart of Bangor responded to a reporter’s inquiry on Facebook saying Howell is her niece, but the Miss Maine USA’s public connection to the state seems to stop there.
Howell did not return requests for comment on Monday.
While pageant officials say Howell provided the necessary paperwork to qualify her to compete representing Bangor, her otherwise nonexistent connections to the area suggest Howell may be taking part in a popular practice known as “state hopping.” That could be denying opportunities for other competitors genuinely from that state and the state itself, a former contestant said.
Contestants moving to a new state only a few weeks or months before the competition — or having mail sent to a friend or family member’s home in a different state to prove residency — is a “dirty little secret” in the pageant community, said Georgeanne Oliver, a former Miss Maine USA contestant.
While the practice is common and usually follows a state pageant’s rules, Oliver said it’s unfortunate for both the other competitors genuinely from that state and the state itself.
Aside from getting the chance to compete for the national Miss USA title, state winners have the opportunity to get involved with their communities by going to events and fundraising for local charities, Oliver said. When state-hopping competitors leave a state after winning, that opportunity is often missed.
“Certainly the pride we have for the place we live is a big part of why you would compete, and you have dreams of certain groups you want to work with to make an impact in your state,” Oliver said. “There’s a real benefit to someone with ties to the state representing the state.”
State hopping is most common where pageantry is more prevalent and more competitive, such as in California, Texas and South Carolina, Oliver said.
State-hoppers usually compete in a smaller state in the Northeast where pageantry is less popular, Oliver said.
“It’s much smaller and easier to win than a place that has 100 girls who have been competing in pageants since they were five,” Oliver said.
The first photo on Howell’s Instagram account that shows her in Bangor was posted on March 1, 10 weeks before the Miss Maine USA competition. After that, photos showing Howell dining in local restaurants or visiting downtown Bangor are scattered throughout her account.
A profile for Howell on the Keller Williams real estate website states she is “a lifelong resident” of San Diego, where she was born and raised. A social media profile for Howell shows she attended high school and college in California.
Howell is also a real estate agent, but her real estate license is in California.
Howell has won several titles before Miss Maine, including Miss Cosmo World 2023 and Miss Multiverse America 2019. Her social media account also says she previously won Miss El Cajon Teen USA.
In a December 2024 interview, Howell told San Diego Voyager magazine her next goal is competing for the nationwide Miss USA title by “entering a state pageant” in 2025.
In order to enroll in the Miss Maine USA competition, contestants must live in Maine permanently and have lived here for at least three months before the pageant, according to the Miss Maine USA website.
Contestants could also be a full-time student in Maine — as long as they will have completed one semester or session by Dec. 31 — or work in Maine full-time, among other requirements.
Ava Clemente, assistant director of the Clemente Organization, which produces the pageant, said Howell “provided all necessary/required documentation confirming her residency in the state of Maine.”
Contestants can provide documents such as a drivers license, voter registration card, lease, utility bills and school records to prove their residency and connection to the state, Clemente said.
When asked how pageant officials ensure contestants have lived in Maine for at least three months, Clemente said, “We trust the documents the contestants provide are true and accurate.”
Oliver said there have been Miss Maine USA titleholders in the past who weren’t born in Maine, but had lived in the state and built a life here for years before competing and represented the state well.
“Anyone who wants to come to our state and enrich our state should absolutely have the opportunity to compete,” Oliver said. “Where it’s sad is when people may not actually be part of our community at all.”