Democrat Emily Gregory Wins Florida House Seat

UPDATE: 12:39 PM – Wednesday, March 25, 2026: Emily Gregory, a Democrat, secured a House seat in Florida on Tuesday, flipping a district that covers President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. This victory makes her the president’s latest state representative.

In a closely contested special election, Gregory won by just 797 votes, defeating her Trump-backed rival, Jon Maples, by 2.4%, as reported by Ballotpedia.

In the previous 2024 election, Trump had carried this district by an 11-point margin.

2:43 PM – Tuesday, March 24, 2026: Democrats set their sights on flipping Florida’s House District 87 in this special election, which includes Trump’s oceanfront Mar-a-Lago residence.

Before the polls opened, Trump urged Palm Beach County voters to participate in the election, calling on “all great patriots” in the district to cast their ballots.

This high-profile race aims to fill a legislative seat left vacant since August due to the resignation of Republican Mike Caruso.

Political analysts view this election as a “micro-test” of Trump’s influence in the region as the midterms approach, with campaign spending exceeding $1 million.

Given the economic worries facing residents in the Palm Beach County area—running from Palm Beach Gardens to Jupiter, Juno Beach, and Hypoluxo—Trump stressed the election’s importance, stating it was “very important.”

He endorsed Jon Maples, a 43-year-old financial planner and former council member, whose campaign aligns with Republican goals both at the state and national levels.

Trump remarked that Maples is “known and loved” in the county and has various local allies backing him. His campaign emphasizes tax cuts, reducing regulations, boosting private-sector jobs, and expanding school choice.

Gregory, 40, a small business owner and first-time candidate, has centered her campaign around funding public schools, improving healthcare access, and addressing economic concerns for local families.

Her platform highlights issues such as rising insurance premiums, property taxes, and overall cost-of-living challenges, particularly rising energy prices.

Discussing Trump’s influence on the election, Gregory noted, “It has impacted people’s interest in talking to me about it. He’s a constituent. But I’m focused on all 115,000 voters in District 87, not just him.”

She added, “We’ve knocked on doors and made calls. I’m proud of the campaign we ran. I think it’ll be close, but we might come out on the right side of it.”

Heather Williams, President of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, remarked, “We’re ready to carry our momentum into Trump’s backyard as Emily Gregory aims to flip Mar-a-Lago blue. It’s a tough district Trump won by 11 points, but voters seem eager to hold Republicans accountable for rising costs.”

In a post on Truth Social, Trump directed voters to a campaign site for polling information, assuring them that Maples “will never let you down.”

Trump stated, “As your next State Representative, Jon will work tirelessly to grow the economy, cut taxes and regulations, promote American-made products, combat crime, safeguard elections, support our military, veterans, and law enforcement, and defend our always under attack Second Amendment.”