▁York ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁and ▁briefly ▁attended ▁Mary mount ▁University ▁in ▁Virginia . ▁She ▁worked ▁for ▁Walker ▁& ▁Dun lop ▁and ▁entered ▁the ▁Miss ▁Washington ▁competition ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁ ▁Her ▁parents ▁also ▁had ▁another ▁daughter , ▁Christ ine , ▁who ▁died ▁shortly ▁after ▁birth . ▁ ▁Act ing ▁career ▁Re agan ▁purs ued ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁acting ▁in ▁her ▁youth , ▁appearing ▁in ▁films ▁such ▁as ▁K iss in ' ▁C ous ins ▁( 1 9 6 4 ) ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁featured ▁alongside ▁El vis ▁Pres ley . ▁ ▁Political ▁activities ▁Re agan ▁spoke ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁Republican ▁candidates ▁throughout ▁the ▁country , ▁including ▁twenty ▁appearances ▁alone ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁for ▁un success ful ▁Mississippi ▁g ubern atorial ▁nom ine e , ▁Rub el ▁Phill ips , ▁a ▁former ▁seg reg ation ist ▁who ▁ran ▁that ▁year ▁on ▁a ▁platform ▁of ▁ra cial ▁moder ation . ▁ ▁Re agan ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁son ▁or ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁President ▁to ▁be ▁elected ▁co ch air ▁of ▁the ▁Republican ▁National ▁Committee . ▁However , ▁both ▁of ▁her ▁attempts ▁at ▁election ▁to ▁political ▁office ▁ended ▁in ▁defeat . ▁She ▁ran ▁un success fully ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁from ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁( which ▁was ▁eventually ▁won ▁by ▁P ete ▁Wilson ) ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁for ▁California ' s ▁ 3 6 th ▁con gression al ▁district . ▁ ▁Although ▁they ▁maintained ▁a ▁un ited