Democrat Flips Florida House District That Includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

Democrat Emily Gregory flipped a Republican-held Florida House seat in a March 24 special election in a district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach.

Gregory, a South Florida native with a background in public health, defeated Trump-endorsed Republican Jon Maples by 2.4 percentage points in the special election for a seat in Florida’s 87th District.

The seat was previously held by Republican Mike Caruso, who resigned from the Florida House in August 2025 after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him as Palm Beach County clerk.

“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,” Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried said in a statement celebrating Gregory’s victory.

Trump backed Maples, a financial adviser, saying in a social media post on March 23 that Maples is a “terrific legislator” endorsed by “so many” of his “Palm Beach County friends.”

The president said Maples was aiming to “Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Stop Migrant Crime, Safeguard our Elections, Support our Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”

Following her victory, Gregory said in a March 24 interview with MS Now’s “The Briefing with Jen Psaki” that she thought that flipping the GOP-held seat was possible but was “pretty shocked” by the outcome.

“My opponent made, you know, [Trump] forefront in his campaign,” she said. “And I focused more on the voters of District 87, what everybody needs, what all of us will do better with, with lower property insurance, with expanded health care, and with strong public schools.”

Gregory, a small-business owner, has career experience in mental health, state government, and public health, according to her campaign website. Her campaign was largely centered on tackling rising costs.

Gregory grew up north of Palm Beach in Stuart. She is the owner of a fitness company that works with pregnant and postpartum women, and this was her first campaign for elected office.

The seat had been vacant since Caruso, who won it by 19 percentage points in 2024, resigned to become Palm Beach County’s clerk of the circuit court and comptroller in August 2025. DeSantis called the election in October 2025.

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams lauded Gregory’s win in a social media post, saying that it shows that Republicans should be “worried about their chances this November.”

“A Trump [plus-11] district in his own backyard shouldn’t be in play for Democrats, but tonight proves Republicans are vulnerable everywhere,” Williams wrote on X.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.