Mallory Hagan focuses on health care, transparency in congressional run

Sept. 20--Mallory Hagan says if anything, the Trump administration has shown "that speaking your mind is perfectly acceptable to people."

She is in favor of abortion rights, citing a history of sexual abuse in her family: "I do not ever see a scenario where I would make it more difficult for a woman to make the choice that's best for her family," she says. She believes climate change is occurring; supports LGBT rights; and says money spent on a border wall would be better invested in improving the current immigration system.

"If running as a Democrat means I have to curb who I am, then I shouldn't run," Hagan said in a recent interview. "People crave honesty, and they crave transparency. They may not always agree with you from a policy standpoint, but they'd rather you tell the truth of what they're getting into, rather than run as a Republican-lite or a Democrat-lite."

It could be an uphill race for the first-time candidate seeking to unseat eight-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Anniston. From Jan. 1 through June 30 -- the last date federal campaign finance reports are available -- Hagan, a former journalist, business owner and Miss America, had raised $178,200 to Rogers' $438,625. Rogers finished with more than $1 million on hand, to Hagan's $24,069. (Updated campaign finance reports covering the summer will be available at the end of the month.) The website Five Thirty Eight's congressional forecasts give Alabama Democratic congressional challengers low odds of breaking through in the fall.

But Hagan is putting herself into the campaign, saying the travel is similar to her time as Miss America. "Except I'm not flying, I'm driving," she said.

Hagan says the country's leadership needs more racial, gender and age diversity to address the multitude of issues facing the nation. She notes the relatively few millennials in Congress.

"That's not representation to me, and I think our policy reflects that," she said. "How are we one of the only industrialized countries in the world that doesn't have maternity leave? How did we get here?"

Like other Democrats, Hagan emphasizes health care in her race, though some of the programs she highlights could only be implemented at the state level. Hagan has called for Alabama to implement Medicaid expansion, which would extend the program to individuals making up to $16,753 a year and families of three making $28,676. She acknowledges that decision would be out of her hands, but argues she could be a public proponent of it as a member of Congress.

Hagan wants her focus in Congress to be on immediate concerns, like saving rural hospitals in Alabama and addressing the state's high rate of infant mortality: "we've got to fix the problems that are immediate," she said.

Hagan is also critical of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, saying they will hurt manufacturing and farmers in the district, and accuses Rogers of "toeing the party line" on the issue.

"We have 57,000 people that depend on manufacturing," she said. "It's not just automobiles or the farmers. It's a ripple effect into the community."

Hagan is also critical of Trump's immigration policy, in particular the separation of children from parents crossing the border. "If you come to the table with compassion for the fact these are human beings, I would start there," she said. "I would think there are things that need streamlining."

Miss America, for better and worse

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Hagan grew up in Opelika, where her mother runs a dance studio and, for several years, operated a salon.

"At one point, the salon and the dance studio were literally next door to each other on Second Avenue, " Hagan said. "So she would walk out of one front door and walk into another."

Hagan attended public schools in Opelika and spent a year at Auburn, thinking she would become a dentist. But she said she learned quickly that "science classes were not up my alley." The strain of working three jobs to support her education also made her feel burned out, and she moved to New York, where she stayed for eight years. After working in different jobs, she enrolled in the Fashion Institute of Technology: "The tuition was absolutely doable for someone who was paying for their own tuition," she said.

One way to pay the bills: beauty pageants. Having done pageants since she was 13, she turned to them to help pay for college. In 2012, she won Miss New York and in 2013, took the crown as Miss America.

"I did not think I had a shot in hell of winning," Hagan said. "But I knew in my heart of hearts I had done everything I could, I left no stone unturned."

Being Miss America led to an "incredibly grueling" schedule where she would travel 20,000 miles a month. But, she says, she loved her time as Miss America, and made prevention of sexual abuse her major issue during her time in the job.

Hagan was also the subject of attacks. Last year, The Huffington Post reported on emails from former CEO Sam Haskell, attacking Hagan over her weight and making comments about her sex life. Hagan and other former Miss Americas called for Haskell to leave; he and other leaders finally resigned.

"That part kind of sucked," she said. "There's no other way to put it. But I'm a firm believer that life prepares you for what's to come. The experiences I had before and after Miss America 3,000 percent prepared me for what I'm doing now."

Hagan said she is learning as she campaigns on the issues, and says she wants to be honest in that process.

"My hope is that my interest in bettering our state and our country is genuine, and I come to the table fully transparent in what I know and what I don't know, and transparent in what I'm learning, and transparent in that if I win this election Nov. 6, I will be open and honest in what I know and what I don't," she said.

This is one of two candidate profiles running on Alabama's 3rd congressional district. Tomorrow: U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican incumbent from Anniston.

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