Democrat Emily Gregory Flips Florida House District Including Mar-a-Lago

Democrat Emily Gregory pulled off a stunning upset victory in Florida's House District 87 special election on March 24, 2026, flipping a seat that includes President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate from Republican control.

“Democrat flips seat in special election for Florida district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort Democrat Emily Gregory won a Florida special election on Tuesday, flipping a state legislative district that is home to Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach estate that President Donald Trump counts as his residence”

Associated Press News

Gregory, a first-time candidate and small business owner who runs FIT4MOM Palm Beach, defeated Republican Jon Maples by a narrow margin of 51% to 49%, or approximately 797 votes, in a district that Trump had carried by 11 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

Associated Press News

The victory represents a remarkable political reversal as the seat had been held by Republican Mike Caruso, who won reelection by 19 points just two years earlier before resigning to become Palm Beach County clerk.

Gregory campaigned on affordability issues, promising to fight for "a healthier, more affordable Florida where families can thrive" and focusing on rising costs of groceries, gas, healthcare, property insurance, and housing rather than making the election about Trump personally.

The election drew national attention as a test of political momentum in Florida, featuring high stakes and significant financial investment with more than $1 million spent between the two candidates.

Despite Trump's active involvement - he endorsed Maples and urged voters to support him with a social media post calling Maples "backed by so many of my Palm Beach County friends" - the Republican candidate fell short.

BBC

Ironically, Trump himself voted by mail in the special election despite his frequent criticism of mail-in voting as "mail-in cheating" and his push for the SAVE America Act to restrict universal mail-in voting.

The White House defended this hypocrisy, claiming Trump's support for the SAVE Act included "commonsense exceptions for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military, or travel" and noting that Trump "obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, DC" while maintaining Florida residency for voting purposes.

Gregory's personal background and campaign strategy proved instrumental to her victory. The 40-year-old South Florida native grew up in Stuart and owns a fitness center specializing in working with pregnant and postpartum women, giving her credibility on health and wellness issues.

“Democrat Emily Gregory won a special election for a Florida state House seat on Tuesday, The Associated Press has projected, flipping a district that is home to President Trump's estate, Mar-a-Lago”

CBS News

Her campaign focused on practical, evidence-based solutions to Florida families' top concerns, particularly the "chaos, corruption, and sky high prices on everything from groceries, to gas, and healthcare" as described by Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried.

Gregory opposed Republican efforts to eliminate property taxes, arguing such measures would shift the burden onto renters through higher sales taxes and local fees while signaling openness to more targeted relief like exemptions for first-time homebuyers.

She also criticized the GOP-led Legislature's focus on curbing diversity, equity and inclusion programs as diverting attention from more pressing economic challenges.

Democrats celebrated the victory as a significant sign of political momentum heading into the 2026 midterm elections, with multiple party leaders highlighting the symbolic importance of winning in Trump's backyard.

"Mar-a-Lago just flipped red to blue, which should have Republicans sweating the midterms," said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, noting that this was the 29th state legislative seat Democrats have flipped from Republican control since Trump took office.

CNBC

DNC Chair Ken Martin declared, "If Democrats can win in Trump's backyard, we sure as hell can win anywhere across the country," while Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried emphasized that "this victory reiterates an undeniable trend in Florida: with year round organizing and infrastructure investment, Democrats can run and win anywhere–including Donald Trump's backyard."

Gregory herself downplayed Trump's significance in the race, stating "I think it demonstrates where the Florida voter is. They want someone who is focused on solutions and the issues and not focused on the noise."

The narrow victory came despite relatively low voter turnout, with only about 15% of eligible voters casting ballots ahead of Election Day.