Democrat Emily Gregory defeated Trump-endorsed Republican John Maples in a special election for Florida House District 87, which includes former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and club. Gregory won by just over 2 percentage points in a contest that drew 33,429 voters, according to unofficial figures from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office. The small business owner from Jupiter received just over 51% of the more than 33,000 ballots cast.
“It’s a pretty wild night,” Gregory told MSNBC’s Jen Psaki less than two hours after her victory. “When I started this nine months ago, I thought it was possible. I think most people thought I was insane. I’m still pretty shocked. We did it. We just did it.” Gregory called Trump “one of the 115,000 voters in District 87” and said her opponent “made him forefront in his campaign, and I focused more on the voters of District 87, what everybody needs, what all of us will do better with, with lower property insurance, with expanded health care and with strong public schools.”
Trump had personally endorsed Maples, a former Lake Clark Shores Town Council member, writing in all caps on social media: “JOHN MAPLES HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!” The president won District 87 by 11 points in the November 2024 election and cast a vote via mail-in ballot despite recently criticizing ballots not cast in person. Gregory swamped Maples with mail-in support, pulling in 3,167 more votes by mail than her opponent, election records show.
The seat became available when former incumbent Mike Caruso resigned after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to serve as Palm Beach County’s clerk and comptroller. Caruso had won the District 87 seat in a landslide on Nov. 5, 2024, winning by almost 20 points on a GOP ballot slate topped by Trump. The victory comes as a Reuters/Ipsos survey released the same day showed Trump’s approval rating at 36% with 62% of respondents disapproving.
Gregory’s win fits into a recent trend of Democratic victories in Florida, including Democrat Brian Nathan’s upset in a Florida Senate race in the Tampa area and Eileen Higgins winning the mayoral seat in Miami in December, the first time a Democrat had won the top spot in the mostly Cuban-American and Latino city in three decades. “This race reaffirms that voters are demanding change and ushering in a wave of leaders who will actually show up for their communities - rejecting Trumpism and the status quo,” said Run for Something co-founder and president Amanda Litman in a prepared statement.
Despite the Democratic victories, Republicans maintain significant advantages in Florida politics. Florida House Republican Campaign Committee Chair Sam Garrison pointed out Republican candidates won two other House races, with Hilary Holley taking House District 51 and Samantha Scott triumphing in House District 52. The Republican Party still holds supermajorities in both the state House and Senate and enjoys an advantage of almost 1.5 million voters going into the November election.
“Today’s loss stings, but it does not deter him or us,” said Garrison, the speaker-designate, in a prepared statement. “We will learn from today’s results and see you in November.” Gregory will join a state House still dominated by Republicans as she prepares to represent the district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club and the broader Palm Beach County community.