On Tuesday night (March 24), a special election in Florida was won by a Democrat, flipping a state legislative district, which is home to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Emily Gregory won out over the Republican challenger Jon Maples, becoming the latest Democrat to signal how voters might be turning against Trump and the GOP.
The district was formerly represented by a Republican, Mike Caruso, who won by 19 points in 2024. Gregory won out over Maples by 2.4%, amounting to a tally of 797 votes – a significant flip, as Trump won Florida House District 87 by 11 points in the 2024 presidential election. The district used to be a lock for Democratic politicians until recent years.
Gregory, a fitness company owner, told MSNOW in an interview that she was “pretty shocked” over her win, and “having a fairly out-of-body experience.” Maples was endorsed by Trump in a social media post earlier in the day, stating that the financial planner was backed “by so many of my Palm Beach County friends.”
The electoral victory was avidly celebrated by the Democratic Party, who see it as a sign of growing dissatisfaction with Trump and his policies as well as the Republicans overall. Democrats have secured victories nationwide in special elections, leading to 29 legislative seats flipped since the beginning of his second term.
“If Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, imagine what’s possible this November,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams said, eyeing the November midterm elections. CNN’s top data analyst Harry Enten agreed. “What is happening right now in Mar-a-Lago is unlikely to stay at Mar-a-Lago. It is likely to expand nationwide and to expand in the midterm elections as well,” Enten said of the results on air.
The win also highlights another stumble for Trump regarding his agenda of eliminating mail-in voting, claiming it’s fraudlent. Palm Beach County election records showed that he voted in the election using a mail-in ballot, and it was counted.
