Democrat Emily Gregory won a special election for Florida House of Representatives on Tuesday, defeating Republican Jon Maples 51.2% to 48.8% in a coastal Palm Beach County district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. The victory represents a 13-point shift from Trump’s 10.63 percentage point win in the district during the 2024 election. Gregory’s 2.38 percentage point margin occurred in the 87th Florida House district that runs north from Hypoluxo to Jupiter.
“It’s a very big deal,” said Florida-based Democratic strategist Eric Johnson, who has run campaigns for federal, state and local candidates but didn’t work for Gregory. The result adds personal embarrassment for Trump, who had endorsed Maples and urged supporters to vote for him. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform before the election: “JON MAPLES HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!” and called on “ALL GREAT PATRIOTS” in the district to support Maples.
Nikki Fried, chair of the state Democratic Party, said Republicans in office need to worry about losing reelection. “We are showing the world that Florida Democrats are ready to compete everywhere,” she said in a video news conference Wednesday. “And if we can win in Donald Trump’s backyard, we can win anywhere.” The victory means Democrats nationwide have now flipped 30 Republican-held legislative seats since Trump was elected, while Republicans have flipped zero.
Trump considered the contest important enough to cast his ballot by mail, despite constantly criticizing mail voting as fraudulent without evidence. At the Republican Party of Palm Beach County’s annual Lincoln Day fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, Trump urged party activists and donors to support Maples, according to county party chairman Carl Cascio. The dinner wasn’t open to news media coverage, but photos posted online showed Maples on stage with Trump.
Carl Cascio dismissed the potential embarrassment to Trump, saying “political novices” like to conclude proximity “must be the reason” for the result. “It’s clearly not that simple. It’s a lot more involved,” Cascio said. However, Johnson argued the results in Trump’s backyard deserve attention because it involves “people he is closest to and is certainly most well known, I mean this is home.”
The symbolism of Gregory’s victory generated extraordinary media coverage, with the Democrat interviewed live on CNN and MSNBC as she headed to her election night gathering. The contest received coverage from the New York Times and BBC due to its location in Trump’s home district. State Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, pointed to the Republican-controlled Legislature’s vote this year to change the name of Palm Beach International Airport to President Donald J. Trump International Airport, posting on social media: “Nothing says ’legacy’ like naming an airport after you and then have the election go to the opposition party.”
Democrat Brian Nathan also won a Republican state Senate district in a Hillsborough County special election, contributing to the pattern of Democratic victories in special elections. Despite these wins, Republicans still maintain overwhelming majorities in both the state Senate and state House of Representatives. The results come as Democrats express growing optimism about potential midterm election successes, though the full implications for future statewide races remain to be determined.