On Tuesday, Democrats in Florida achieved a significant political shift by capturing a state House seat in a district centered around Palm Beach, famously known as the location of Mar-a-Lago, the residence of former President Donald Trump. This district had long been under Republican control.
According to the Associated Press, Democrat Emily Gregory emerged victorious over her Republican opponent, Jon Maples, in a special election for Florida’s House District 87. This election was necessitated by the vacancy left when Republican state Rep. Mike Caruso stepped down last August to assume the role of Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller.
This electoral contest was one of three special legislative races taking place on the same day in Florida, a state dominated by the GOP. While the outcomes would not alter the longstanding Republican dominance in both the state House and Senate, the race drew attention due to its location in the district of the former president.
Jon Maples, who enjoyed the endorsement of Trump—who relocated his permanent residence to Mar-a-Lago from New York City’s Trump Tower in 2019—also received support from several prominent Florida Republicans.
In a social media statement on Monday evening, Trump expressed his strong support for Maples, stating, “There is a very important Special Election tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th, for Florida State House District 87 in beautiful Palm Beach County — JON MAPLES HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
Maples, a 43-year-old financial planner and former Lake Clarke Shores Council member, had highlighted his background as a former all-American athlete at Palm Beach Atlantic University. His campaign focused on reducing taxes and government spending, slashing regulations, encouraging private sector job growth, and expanding school choice options.
Gregory, a 40-year-old Army spouse, owns and runs a Jupiter-based fitness center for pregnant and postpartum women. The first-time candidate made affordability, increasing public education, tackling rising property insurance and housing costs, and access to healthcare key parts of her campaign.
Maples was the favorite heading into the special election, thanks to his fundraising advantage in a district that leads to the right. Trump carried the district by roughly 10 points in his 2024 re-election victory. And Caruso won re-election in the district by 19 points.
Palm Beach County was once firmly blue until Republicans made electoral gains in recent cycles.
The Democrats’ victory is their latest win or over performance in a slew of special elections and off-year contests since Trump returned to power in the White House 14 months ago.
Partially fueling the Democrats’ ballot box performances is their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation. And the victories are further energizing Democrats as they work to win back control of the US House and possibly the Senate in this autumn’s midterm elections.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC), in a statement Tuesday night, called Gregory’s win “an earthshattering victory for Florida Democrats and humiliating defeat for Donald Trump.”
“Donald Trump’s own neighbors just sent a crystal clear message: They are furious and ready for change,” DNC chair Ken Martin emphasized in a statement. “If Democrats can win in Trump’s own backyard, we can win anywhere. From now until November, Democrats are all gas and no brakes as we compete across every corner of Florida and the nation.”
The Republican National Committee (RNC), in commenting on the results, noted that special elections are not always the best barometer of things to come.
“A low-turnout state House special election is a snapshot of local quirks, candidate dynamics, and turnout math — not some grand verdict.” RNC Senior Adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement.
In Florida’s other state House special election, the AP reports that Republican Hilary Holley defeated Democrat Edwin Perez, in the race to replace GOP state Rep. Josie Tomkow. The district covers parts of Polk County, in the central part of the state.
At the time this story posted, the state Senate special election between Tomkow and Democrat Brian Nathan was too close to call. Tomkow and Nathan were running to succeed Republican Jay Collins, who resigned from the seat in August to become the state’s lieutenant governor.
The district includes much of Democrat-leaning Tampa as well as the more GOP-leaning Northwest Hillsborough suburbs.
