Democrats have secured a victory in a special election for Florida's 87th state house district, which includes Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Emily Gregory, a Democrat and public health expert, defeated Republican Jon Maples, who had been endorsed by the US president. The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening, with Gregory leading by more than two percentage points.
The seat was previously held by a Republican who won by 19 percentage points in 2024. Trump voted in the race via mail-in ballot, despite his frequent criticism of mail-in voting as fraudulent. He had urged voters to back Maples, a financial adviser who describes himself as an 'America-First patriot'. Maples faced scrutiny over allegations that he did not live in the district, which he denied.
Democrats view Gregory's win as a sign of voter frustration with rising costs and a shift away from Trump and the Republican party. Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said on social media: 'Mar-a-Lago just flipped red to blue, which should have Republicans sweating the midterms. A Trump +11 district in his own backyard shouldn't be in play for Democrats, but tonight proves Republicans are vulnerable everywhere.'
State Democrats have flipped 29 districts since Trump's election, according to Williams. 314 Action, a political committee that supports Democratic scientists, endorsed Gregory and praised her win. Shaughnessy Naughton, the group's president, said: 'Emily won because Floridians trust her to make decisions based on evidence not ideology. She's bringing science back to the state house and heading to the capitol on a mission to lower costs, restore healthcare and bring down the temperature in Tallahassee.'
