Democratic candidate Emily Gregory won a special election for Florida House District 87. This win is symbolic because the district includes Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, as reported by The Associated Press.
The Republican candidate who lost the election was Jon Maples, who was backed by Trump himself. Mike Caruso previously represented the district and won the seat by 19% in 2024.
The seat had been vacant since August, when Caruso resigned to become Palm Beach County clerk.
According to NBC News, Gregory had 51% of the votes compared to Maples’s 49%. This also supports reports that Democrats are performing well in state legislative special elections since Trump took office.
HUGE NEWS: Democrat Emily Gregory just flipped the Florida state House district that includes Mar-a-Lago.
She defeated a Trump-endorsed Republican in Trump’s home district. pic.twitter.com/J82pqlWCou
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) March 25, 2026
President of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Heather Williams, celebrated the victory. She said, “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,” as reported by The Daily Beast.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin also issued a statement saying the result sent a message, Fox News reported.
Martin wrote, “Donald Trump’s own neighbors in Florida just sent a message: They elected a Democrat, Emily Gregory, to serve as their representative in the Florida state House. If Democrats can win in Trump’s backyard, we sure as hell can win anywhere across the country. Onward to November!”
Gregory’s campaign included issues such as affordability, managing rising housing costs, and expanding public education. An Army spouse, she owns and runs a fitness center for pregnant and postpartum women.
Maples is a financial planner and former All-American athlete at Palm Beach Atlantic University. His campaign included cutting taxes, promoting private sector jobs, and reducing regulations, among other things, as reported by Fox News.
Trump posted in support of Maples, writing, “There is a very important Special Election tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th, for Florida State House District 87 in beautiful Palm Beach County — JON MAPLES HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
There were three special elections in Florida; the fourth was won by a Republican who ran unopposed.
Donald Trump’s own neighbors in Florida just sent a message: They elected a Democrat, Emily Gregory, to serve as their representative in the Florida state House.
If Democrats can win in Trump’s backyard, we sure as hell can win anywhere across the country. Onward to November! https://t.co/Bh9Ze9BwlW
— Ken Martin (@kenmartin73) March 25, 2026
In a close race in the Tampa area, Democrat Brian Nathan is slightly ahead of Republican Josie Tomkow. However, NBC News reports the race is too close to call.
The special elections come as Trump’s approval ratings have declined. During a segment on CNN Newsroom, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten commented on the trend, Newsweek reported.
“New numbers out from CBS News…If I were in the White House, only one word to describe them: Yikes!”
He further added, “I mean, just take a look here. Trump will, or is, making you financially worse off or better off—if you go back to just before Trump was reelected to a second term, the plurality said better off at 44 percent. That number has fallen through the floor. Now we’re talking just 18 percent! Just 18 percent say Trump’s policies are making them better off.”
