Tami Farrell

Tami Farrell won her first title, Miss Oregon Teen USA in 2002 and went on to win the Miss Teen USA 2003 pageant in Palm Springs, California on August 12, 2003. She also won the Miss Congeniality award at the same pageant. Farrell was the third representative of Oregon to win the pageant.

Farrell graduated from Phoenix High School in 2003. She has supported Sparrow Clubs USA and American Heart Association since she was a student, continuing her associationt throughout her reigns as Miss Teen USA and Miss California USA.

As Miss Teen USA, Farrell represented the Miss Universe Organization. Her "sister" 2003 titleholders were Amelia Vega (Miss Universe, of the Dominican Republic) and Susie Castillo (Miss USA, of Massachusetts). She gave up her title to Shelley Hennig of Louisiana in Palm Springs on August 6, 2004.

On June 10, 2009, she became Miss California USA 2009 after Prejean was sacked by Donald Trump. Prejean had created controversy by saying marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman during the interview portion of the Miss USA 2009 pageant.

When asked about the controversy in 2009, Farrell, who is a Christian, stated that she believes that marriage is between a man and a woman but added "I don't think that I have the right or anybody has a right to tell somebody who they can or can't love. And I think that this is a civil rights issue. And I think that the right thing to do is let the voters decide."