Democrat Emily Gregory won a Florida special election Tuesday, flipping a state legislative seat in a district that includes Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach estate President Donald Trump counts as his residence. The victory came in a contest in which Trump had endorsed Gregory’s rival, Jon Maples, and publicly urged support for Maples ahead of Election Day.
Trump endorsed Maples after the president had weighed in against the Democratic challenger, and he also used social media Monday to urge voters to turn out. In that post, Trump urged support for Maples and referenced “so many of my Palm Beach County friends,” according to the Associated Press reporting.
Gregory’s win over Maples added to Democrats’ efforts to point to special-election results as early signals for November. The Associated Press said the Tuesday race was part of a series of lopsided or improbable special-election outcomes nationally since Trump returned to the White House more than a year ago.
With almost all votes counted, Gregory led by 2.4 percentage points, or 797 votes. The reporting also described the seat’s prior representation as held by Mike Caruso, a Republican who resigned to become Palm Beach County’s clerk. Caruso previously won the district in 2024 by 19 percentage points, setting up the special election as a potential test of party strength in Trump’s local orbit.
Democrats celebrated the result and cast it as a statement from voters in a district that includes Mar-a-Lago. Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said in a statement: “If Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, imagine what’s possible this November,” and she framed the win as reflecting rising costs and frustration with Republicans.
Williams said the race was the 29th seat Democrats have flipped from Republican control since Trump took office. She also pointed to pressure facing families, saying, “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,” as reported by the Associated Press.
Gregory, who grew up north of Palm Beach in Stuart, had not previously run for elected office. The Associated Press reported that she owns a fitness company that works with pregnant and postpartum women and described her reaction after the win as “pretty shocked” and “having a fairly out-of-body experience” when speaking to MSNOW.
Democrats also highlighted other recent wins in areas they described as politically competitive. The Associated Press noted that in Florida, Eileen Higgins won the race for Miami mayor in December, defeating a Trump-endorsed Republican in a campaign that leaned heavily into criticism of the president’s immigration crackdown. Farther west, the wire report also referenced Democrats’ special-election momentum in Texas with Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipping a state Senate district in January.
Trump responded quickly after losing the Florida contest in a district he had won by 17 points in 2024, the Associated Press reported. The wire said Trump distanced himself from the loss, saying “I’m not involved in that” even though he had endorsed the Republican candidate, and it also reported that Trump voted by mail and that his ballot was counted, according to Palm Beach County voter records.
Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, pointed to the result as evidence of political pressure even in Trump’s home environment. The Associated Press quoted Martin as saying, “Donald Trump’s own neighbors just sent a crystal clear message: They are furious and ready for change.”