Democrat Emily Gregory has reportedly flipped President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District in a historic move. The news about red to blue comes after her victory against Republican John Maples in the special election for Florida’s House District 87.
According to reports by the Associated Press, the result was seen as a significant blow to the Trump administration. In 2024, Republicans won the district by 19 percentage points. However, she flipped the district by a 2.4 percentage point margin, a 21-point swing in just over a year.
Congratulations are in order for Democrat Emily Gregory for winning her Florida State House 87 race. She just flipped a deep-red seat that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.
November is coming. pic.twitter.com/wgsDbTUatj
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) March 25, 2026
The reason it was reportedly a huge blow to the Trump administration is that the President had pretty much hand-picked Maples. From personally endorsing him to actively supporting his campaign, Trump made efforts to back Maples. However, Gregory ultimately won despite the district being heavily pro-Trump.
In an interview on “The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” Gregory shared her thoughts on the victory and how she won the special election. During the interview, Gregory recalled her feelings about securing the historic win. She began by describing the win as a “pretty wild night.” She recalled the doubts people had when she decided to flip the district.
This was due to the district’s voting history and Republican-leaning numbers.
Let’s go! pic.twitter.com/fW1gvtdYwm
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) March 25, 2026
Reflecting on her win, she said,
“I’m still like pretty shocked—but we did it; we just did it.”
When asked about Trump’s role in the political landscape, Gregory said it did not bother her. She said he was just one of many political figures and that her focus remained on voters’ needs in District 87, Florida.
Next, Psaki asked Gregory for advice on flipping districts based on her experience. She also asked the Democrat about her focus both before and after winning the special election. When asked for advice, Gregory had only three words: “Go for it.”
She also encouraged viewers and her supporters by stating, “If you want the world to look different, then you have to go out and make it different.” She later said her victory was partly due to strategic voter analysis that helped time the shift from red to blue.
She chalked her victory up to the “math working out” as a result of utilizing the opportunity for the flip. Before discussing the behind-the-scenes of her win, Gregory spoke about her focus when engaging with voters.
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
The Democrat confirmed that her focus was largely on the needs of the voters in District 87. She listed lower property insurance, expanded healthcare, and strong public schools as her key areas of focus after celebrating her victory.
In the aftermath of her victory against a red-dominated district, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) shared a statement to congratulate her and respond ahead of the midterm elections.
DNC Chair Ken Martin called Gregory’s win an “earth-shattering victory” and shared an enthusiastic statement.
“If Democrats can win in Trump’s own backyard (Mar-a-Lago), we can win anywhere.”
Martin also emphasized plans to flip more districts nationwide and mentioned that Democrats were “all gas and no brakes” until the midterm elections slated for November. Can the Trump administration make a comeback from this flip?
