In a surprising turn of events, Mar-a-Lago, the residence of Donald Trump, will now be represented by a Democrat in the Florida State House. Emily Gregory successfully turned the district in her favor during a special election held on Tuesday.
Despite former president Trump throwing his support behind Jon Maples, Gregory’s 40-year-old competitor, the endorsement didn’t secure a victory. Trump had taken to social media, encouraging voters to support Maples, whom he described as having the backing of many of his friends in Palm Beach County.
Previously, Republican Mike Caruso held the seat after winning it by a significant 19-point margin in 2024. Caruso stepped down to assume the role of Palm Beach County’s clerk, paving the way for this special election.
Trump had also carried the district by approximately 10 percentage points during the 2024 presidential election, which makes the Democratic win even more notable.
Democrats have hailed this victory as a clear indication of shifting political sentiments, viewing it as a setback for Trump and the Republican Party.
“The switch from red to blue at Mar-a-Lago is a wake-up call for Republicans as they gear up for the midterms,” commented Heather Williams, who leads the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
She said it was the 29th district that Democrats have flipped from GOP control since Trump took office.
‘Gas prices are spiking, grocery costs are up, and families can’t get by — it’s clear voters at the polls are fed up with Republicans,’ Williams said.
Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home will now be represented in the Florida State House by a Democrat after Emily Gregory (pictured) flipped the district in a special election Tuesday
President Donald Trump changed his primary residence to Mar-a-Lago (pictured) in 2019. Democrats are hoping that the President will have to cope with having a Democratic state representative after Tuesday’s special election
With almost all votes counted, Gregory led by 2.4 percentage points, or 797 votes.
Caruso was tapped last summer by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to serve as county clerk and comptroller, with the seat sitting empty since August.
The President changed his residency to Florida in 2019 during his first term, making his primary residence Mar-a-Lago between his first and second terms.
Trump opened himself to criticism by voting in the special election by mail, the New York Times reported, a practice he has referred to as ‘mail-in cheating’ and in the Oval Office on Tuesday as ‘tremendous corruption.’
The White House pushed back on charges of hypocrisy by pointing to Trump’s support of the SAVE Act, which allows ‘commonsense exceptions for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military, or travel.’
The President has been against universal mail-in ballots, a spokesperson said, because ‘it’s highly susceptible to fraud.’
‘As everyone knows, the President is a resident of Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, D.C. This is a non-story,’ spokesperson Olivia Wales told the Daily Mail.
Gregory is a mother of three and used her health and exercise science background to launch a small business, FIT4MOM Palm Beach, offering exercise classes to pregnant women and new moms.
The Republican president endorsed 40-year-old Gregory’s rival, Jon Maples (pictured left)
Gregory is a mother of three and used her health and exercise science background to launch a small business, FIT4MOM Palm Beach, offering exercise classes to pregnant women and new moms
She’s also highlighted her experiences as a military spouse.
The Palm Beach Post, the local newspaper, endorsed Gregory on Monday.
The President backed the GOP hopeful ahead of the primary for the state House special election in January.
He called him a ‘very successful Businessman and Civic Leader.’
‘As your next State Representative, Jon will fight tirelessly 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,’ Trump said.
Ahead of Tuesday, the Florida Democratic Party claimed that Maples doesn’t actually live in the district.
The Florida Democratic Party alleged that on January 12, during the primary, Maples was using a voter registration address associated with a motel in Palm Beach Shores.
This address was used again on March 14, the Democrats said.
The Democrats called on Maples to drop out of the contest.
The Maples campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
Florida Politics reported that the GOP hopeful said that he and his family have moved into a home in Jupiter, Florida – within the district boundaries – since the January primary.
Florida law states that a representative must live in the district only at the time of their swearing-in.
The district in question, Florida’s House District 87, has generally trended Republican.
Maples had a fundraising advantage over his Democratic rival, and Republicans still have a statewide voter registration advantage, Florida Politics said.
Still, Democrats viewed the seat as flippable, as special elections can sometimes be unpredictable.
The party recently found success in the nearby Boca Raton mayor’s race, with Democrat Andy Thomson becoming the first blue mayor of the city in 45 years.
