Democrat Emily Gregory will face Republican Jon Maples in a special election Tuesday for Florida House District 87, a Palm Beach district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Gregory, a business owner and military spouse running for office for the first time, hopes to capitalize on recent Democratic overperformances in special elections. The seat has been vacant since August when former Republican state Rep. Mike Caruso left to become Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller.
“Jon is a very successful Businessman and Civic Leader, who is known and loved,” Trump said in a post Monday reiterating his endorsement of Maples. “Jon will be a terrific Legislator!” Trump gave Maples his “Complete and Total Endorsement” in January. Maples is a former council member of nearby Lake Shores.
“As everyone knows, the President is a resident of Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, DC,” said Olivia Wales, a spokesperson for the White House. Trump voted by mail in Tuesday’s special election despite his criticism of mail-in voting and support for the Republican-backed SAVE America Act, which would end no-excuse mail-in voting. Wales called the president’s voting method “a non-story.”
The district presents a challenging target for Democrats in the ruby-red Sunshine State. Trump won District 87 by 11 points during the 2024 presidential election, and Caruso won reelection in 2024 by 19 percentage points before leaving for his county position. If Democrats win Tuesday night, Mar-a-Lago would be represented by a trio of Democrats across the Florida state House, Senate and US House.
Gregory said she was “good about blocking out the noise” about Trump during the campaign, focusing instead on the more than 180,000 residents in her district. Both Gregory and Maples have largely focused on affordability issues, a subject that proved successful for Democrats in recent elections and one that Republicans have struggled to own during Trump’s second term. The candidates have made local concerns their priority despite the national attention on the race.
Democrats hope to build on their recent momentum in special elections across the country. The party flipped more than 20 state legislative seats in special or regularly scheduled elections last year. Since the start of this year, Democrats have flipped seats in Arkansas, New Hampshire and Texas, where they won a state Senate district that had voted for Trump by 17 points in 2024.
Special elections often feature low turnout, placing high emphasis on voter enthusiasm that can swing results more effectively than in larger elections. The Palm Beach race represents an opportunity for Democrats to notch a win in a state where such victories are often scarce. The outcome could signal whether Democratic gains in special elections can extend to traditionally Republican strongholds in Florida.
The winner will represent a district that stretches across Palm Beach County and includes some of the most high-profile real estate in the state. The seat became available when Caruso transitioned to his role as Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller, creating an unexpected opening in what had been considered a safe Republican district. Election results are expected Tuesday evening as polls close across the district.