The following year, Kazantsev competed in the Miss New York 2014 pageant as Miss City of New York. She won the title of Miss New York 2014 and was crowned by Miss New York 2013 Amanda Mason.
Miss America 2015
Kazantsev, representing New York, was one of the 52 delegates competing in the Miss America 2015 pageant held in Atlantic City, New Jerseyin September 2014. Her platform was "Love Shouldn't Hurt": Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence; Kazantsev stated that her personal experience with domestic violence was the inspiration for choosing this platform. For her talent she sang "Happy" by Pharrell Williams as she used a red plastic cup as a percussion, in a manner that was similar to Anna Kendrick's character in the movie Pitch Perfect and Kendrick's "Cups" music video. During the on-stage question portion of the contest, she was asked what issue women in the senateneed to put on the forefront. Kazantsev stated that she felt military sexual assault needed attention and resources of women in congress. She noted that she was happy that female politicians were already doing so, and proud to be a constituent of one of these women. She was crowned by outgoing Miss America 2014, Nina Davuluri, beating out first runner-up, Miss Virginia 2014, Courtney Garrett. She was the third consecutive Miss New York to earn the title of Miss America. Her win made New York the first state to have a Miss America winner three years in a row. Apart from the title, Kira won a $50,000 scholarship provided in part by Joseph Ribkoff Inc. and the Miss America Organization to continue her education, which she planned to use towards law school.
Hazing controversy
In September 2014, relying on unnamed sources, Jezebel published a piece stating that, while at Hofstra University, Kazantsev was expelled from the Alpha Phi sorority for hazing. On Good Morning America, Kazantsev admitted her involvement in activities that fit the "broad definition of hazing," but denied the allegations of abuse, describing the hazing at Alpha Phi as "menial tasks." In her personal blog, Kazantsev wrote that not attending national Alpha Phi's judiciary hearing of her case was the official reason for the termination.
She has had summer internships at a political consultancy in Washington, D.C., served as a volunteer for U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's 2012 re-election campaign, waited tables, interned at a local affiliate of Planned Parenthood, launched a food blog and served as a hostess. Kazantsev is the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals' Director of Digital Channels and Community Engagement. In November 2017 Kazantsev launched a podcast called "What We Do," in which every week she talks with women about, "the tough issues, the challenges we’ve faced, the best moments, the funny moments and the not so great moments."
Personal life
On September 4, 2018, Kazantsev announced her engagement to long-time boyfriend and Marine, Andrew Dixon. The couple married on September 21, 2019 in Alexander Valley, California.