A Democrat is poised to represent President Donald Trump and his Mar-a-Lago residence in the Florida state House of Representatives after Republicans lost a special election in a surprise upset.
The Democratic candidate, Emily Gregory, was projected to defeat her Republican opponent, Jon Maples, in a special election Tuesday, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Republicans hold a wide majority in the Florida statehouse, so the upset will have little effect on state politics. But it represents a symbolic win for Democrats and warning sign for Republicans ahead of the November congressional midterms where the GOP faces an uphill battle to retain their majorities in the US House and Senate.
Trump easily won Florida’s 87th legislative district in 2024. It includes Palm Beach, which Trump declared as his primary residence during his first term, switching from Manhattan’s Trump Tower to his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The loss is also personal for Trump who backed Maples, on Monday posting on social media that he gave the Republican candidate “MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
Gregory, according to her campaign website runs a fitness center for recent mothers and pregnant women. Like many successful Democratic candidates in Trump’s second term, she emphasized the cost of living and pledged “to fight for a healthier, more affordable Florida where families can thrive.”
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Gregory’s win adds to a series of Democratic victories or over-performances in off-cycle and special elections in recent months. As polls show that voters have soured on Trump’s handling of the economy, Democrats sense opportunity in national, as well as state and local, races.