After a surprise win in a Florida special election, Democrat Emily Gregory stepped into a national political spotlight defined by irony: her district includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, with the district anchored by Palm Beach. Gregory said she is excited to represent all of her constituents, adding that the president is among them and that she would welcome contact from him.

“I would love to have a conversation,” Gregory told The Associated Press, referring to Trump. “He’s welcome to call me, as I am his new state representative,” she said in the interview published Wednesday.

Gregory’s victory came in a contest that required her to win the seat left by Republican Mike Caruso after his resignation to become Palm Beach County’s clerk. She was elected to finish Caruso’s term, and she said she would need to run again in November to keep the seat. She described the election as a fast entry into elected politics, telling the AP that she believed in herself throughout the campaign and calling her lack of prior political experience a factor she could leverage.

The campaign unfolded in a district that has helped Republicans maintain an advantage in state politics for years, but the outcome gave Democrats a boost just as attention turns to midterm-year momentum. The AP characterized Gregory’s win as part of a series of Democratic flips in special elections that Democrats see as a signal of momentum for 2026. Florida Democrats have struggled to break into a statehouse long dominated by Republicans, and the special-election results were framed by party leaders as an opportunity to widen the electoral map.

Nikki Fried, Florida’s Democratic chairwoman, said the moment underscored that Democrats can compete even in Republican strongholds. Fried told reporters that “The pendulum swings in both directions,” and said, “Last night it swung hard in the state of Florida.” She added that if Democrats could win “in Donald Trump’s backyard,” they could win “anywhere,” positioning the outcome as evidence of a competitive shift rather than an isolated upset.

Gregory said she did not portray her campaign as a contest focused on Trump himself. Instead, she said she emphasized issues she associated with day-to-day costs and the local economy, including fast-rising insurance rates in the hurricane-prone district, along with expenses such as groceries and gas. She described herself as a lifelong “proud Florida Democrat,” and said she did not view herself as a leader of Trump opposition, describing her goal as being “embedded in my community” and representative of District 87.

Gregory also outlined what she expects to prioritize in the Florida Legislature. She said she wants to limit insurance rate hikes, expand health care access, support public education, and lift what she called “huge, crushing burdens on the average Florida family.” She described herself as humbled to be the district’s representative and said she intends to focus on constituents’ needs once she takes office.

Gregory said she expects to be sworn in before a special legislative session that begins April 20. She said the session is a Republican initiative intended to redraw the state’s congressional map and that she plans to oppose it. She characterized the session as “complete power grab” and tied it to Trump’s call to gerrymander in favor of Republicans, describing the congressional-map effort as something she intends to fight.

The Associated Press reported that Trump endorsed Gregory’s opponent, Jon Maples, and cast a mail ballot in the contest. On the eve of the election, Trump reiterated his support for Maples with a social media post addressed to “ALL GREAT PATRIOTS.” Florida Republicans, including state party chairman Evan Power, did not respond to a message seeking comment, and the AP said Trump did not say anything Wednesday about the race.

Beyond the House race, Democrats also pointed to other contests. Fried and Democrats referenced the outlook for Brian Nathan, who was seeking a Tampa-area state senate seat. The AP said it had not called that race but that Nathan had a narrow lead within Florida’s automatic recount range. Democrats and a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, David Jolly, argued that the recent special-election results show a wider opening if candidates focus on economic issues, while a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds’ campaign said Republican leaders were assessing strategy for “good campaigns” and said Trump’s endorsement of Donalds was aimed at producing results.

For Gregory, the transition is immediate: she said she is ready “to get to work,” including for Trump while also aiming to represent every constituent in District 87. She told the AP she would work “as hard for every single one of 180,000 constituents in District 87” and said she would not “elevate anyone over the rest.”

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