WEST PALM BEACH, Fl. — Miss Louisiana 2026 Shelby Bordelon will begin the Miss America preliminary competition on Wednesday night. 

The competition begins at 7 p.m. at Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall in West Palm Beach, Florida. Viewers can watch the pageant live on the Miss America YouTube channel. 

Bordelon, from Sunshine, graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University. She is pursuing a career in nonprofit fundraising and currently leads Claire's Promise, a nonprofit against impaired driving. She started the organization in honor of her lifelong friend Claire Zeller, who was a victim of a drunk driving accident in 2024.