The Democrats successfully flipped the Florida House district that includes the Donald Trump-owned Mar-a-Lago resort in a recently conducted special election. Despite endorsements coming from the president himself, the Republican candidate in the special election ended up losing the district to Democrat challenger Emily Gregory, who secured victory by a margin of over two points.
Emily Gregory wins Florida district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
On Tuesday, March 24, the Democratic Party successfully took Florida House District 87 from the Republicans in a surprising victory. The Republican defeat in the special election was especially notable as the district that was lost includes parts of West Palm Beach, where Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is located. The resort has served as the president’s base of operations when away from the White House for some time.
Democrat Emily Gregory defeated Republican Jon Maples in the race for the State House 87 seat, winning the special election with an excess of 750 votes, as she garnered 51 percent to Maples’ less than 49 percent record, as per The Daily Beast.
Notably, Gregory is a small-business owner and the mother of three boys, whose husband currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army.
Reflecting on the Democrats’ unexpected win over the Republicans and Donald Trump, Heather Williams, the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, noted, “Mar-a-Lago just flipped red to blue, which should have Republicans sweating the midterms. If Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, imagine what’s possible this November.”
The Republican Party had first flipped the Florida House District 87 back in 2022. In 2024, the district was held again with an 11-point win, keeping the district in Republican control. Gregory has now secured victory in the recent special election, flipping the seat again.
The Democratic Party also recently found success in Tampa Bay, where Brian Nathan defeated Republican candidate Josie Tomkow in the Senate District 14 election.
Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on Mandatory.
