Bangor’s Shelby Howell wins Miss Maine USA

<img width="819" height="1024" src="https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/05/Shelby-Howell-e1747052653468.jpg?fit=819%2C1024&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/05/Shelby-Howell-e1747052653468.jpg?fit=819%2C1024&ssl=1&w=370 370w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/05/Shelby-Howell-e1747052653468.jpg?fit=819%2C1024&ssl=1&w=400 400w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /> A new Miss Maine USA has officially been crowned, and the winner wasn’t either of the two contestants who were getting the most attention.

Shelby Howell of Bangor won the annual pageant show Sunday, beating out the two headline grabbing contestants, including Jordon Hudson , who is dating former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

According to Boston.com, Belichick was at both days of the competition . Hudson ended up in third.

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READ ABOUT THE OTHER CONTESTANTS <img decoding="async" onerror="if (typeof newspackHandleImageError === 'function') newspackHandleImageError(this);" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/AP25038062916989.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image" alt="Bill Belichick’s girlfriend will vie for Miss Maine USA title" data-hero-candidate="1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/AP25038062916989.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/AP25038062916989.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/AP25038062916989.jpg?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/AP25038062916989.jpg?resize=200%2C150&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/AP25038062916989.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(min-width: 782px) 600px, (min-width: 600px) 42.5vw, 90vw" /> Bill Belichick’s girlfriend will vie for Miss Maine USA title by Christopher Burns

<img decoding="async" onerror="if (typeof newspackHandleImageError === 'function') newspackHandleImageError(this);" width="800" height="600" src="https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-design-2025-04-14T193706.041.png?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1" class="attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium size-newspack-article-block-landscape-medium wp-post-image" alt="1st transgender woman to compete in Miss Maine USA " data-hero-candidate="1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-design-2025-04-14T193706.041.png?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-design-2025-04-14T193706.041.png?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-design-2025-04-14T193706.041.png?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-design-2025-04-14T193706.041.png?resize=200%2C150&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-design-2025-04-14T193706.041.png?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(min-width: 782px) 600px, (min-width: 600px) 42.5vw, 90vw" /> 1st transgender woman to compete in Miss Maine USA <img data-recalc-dims="1" onerror="if (typeof newspackHandleImageError === 'function') newspackHandleImageError(this);" alt='Avatar photo' src="https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/03/Optimized-Kathleen-OBrien-48x48.jpg?resize=48%2C48&ssl=1" srcset='https://bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/03/Optimized-Kathleen-OBrien-96x96.jpg 2x' class='avatar avatar-48 photo' height="48" width="48" /> by Kathleen O'Brien