Carolyn Daniels is the definition of leadership in action. The first woman from Hawai’i to win Miss America launched a lifetime of advocacy and public service. For more than three decades, she has worked across party lines to advance solutions that support women, children, and families. 

 

Carolyn helped bring a national voice to 1.5 million women affected by employment discrimination in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes. It was the largest civil rights class action lawsuit for women in U.S. history. 

 

In 1992, Carolyn founded Safe Places for Abused Women and Children. Drawing on her own experience as a survivor of domestic violence, she raised national awareness about the lack of resources available to victims. Her bipartisan work was instrumental in the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, which created the National Domestic Violence Hotline. 

 

Carolyn’s leadership in education reform earned national recognition when President George H.W. Bush and Education Secretary Lamar Alexander asked her to help promote the America 2000/Education 2000 initiative. Traveling across the country, she spoke at more than 400 schools, universities, and civic organizations, including presentations in 17 state legislatures. 

 

Throughout her career, Carolyn has partnered with organizations including Special Olympics, American Red Cross, D.A.R.E. America, and ChildHelp USA. 

 

She has worked closely with agricultural groups such as 4-H, FFA and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Carolyn was raised in a farming and ranching family with a rich heritage of public servants and generations of military commitment. 

 

Carolyn has lived in the 44th Assembly District for 20 years with her husband, director and stunt coordinator Alex Daniels. Their three children are second-generation stunt performers. She is a graduate of Hawai‘i Pacific University.