Dozens gathered around the steps of Urbana High School on Tuesday morning as University alumna and Urbana native Erika Harold announced her intent to run in the 2014 race for the Republican nomination in the 13th congressional district.

Harold will challenge incumbent Rodney Davis for a second time, after he won the seat in 2012, as former Rep. Tim Johnson announced he would not seek re-election.

The 2003 Miss America winner said she knows she is entering an arena where people will ask her, “Do you really want world peace?” and question her background in beauty pageants. But Harold said she is ready to step into the arena because she knows she isn’t doing it alone.

“I chose to enter an arena where I could actually make a difference,” Harold said in response to why she chose to run for Congress rather than the Illinois Senate or House.

In her speech, Harold highlighted a few priorities for her campaign, including crop insurance for farmers, a growing economy to ensure jobs for college students attending the many universities within the district and the preservation of faith-based groups.

“(Universities are) a high priority for me because I think the cost of education is rising in a way that I think isn’t keeping pace with the amount of money students can earn,” she said.

Harold said she is looking into concrete proposals to address the rising cost of debt for students.

Following her speech, Harold said reforms in the criminal justice system are also a priority to her campaign, specifically looking at how to use tax dollars to give inmates an opportunity to rehabilitate themselves.

“I am committed to making the case for how conservative principles expand opportunities for the individual, for more entrepreneurship, for more economic growth,” she said.

Harold said she also hopes to garner support from residents in the swing district who may not tend to vote conservatively.

Over the next three days, Harold will tour 16 cities within the district from Urbana to Springfield to Bloomington, to announce her political plans.

Harold said she will also continue to pursue legal work at Meyer Capel attorney’s office in Champaign as she runs her campaign over the next year.

Corinne can be reached at [email protected] and @corinnesusan.