Democrat Flips Mar-a-Lago's District in Special Election

President Trump's vote by mail didn't swing it. Democrat Emily Gregory won a special election for a Florida state House seat on Tuesday, flipping a district that is home to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, the AP reports. The president endorsed Gregory's Republican rival, Jon Maples. Republican Mike Caruso, who resigned from the seat to become Palm Beach County's clerk, won the district by 19 percentage points in 2024. Trump won the district by about 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

The result in Florida's District 87 adds to a total of more than two dozen seats that Democrats have flipped in state legislatures since the 2024 election, the New York Times reports. Gregory, a 40-year-old first-time candidate, focused her campaign on affordability and on her background as a military spouse, mother of three, and small business owner. Her win won't change the balance of power in the legislature, but her term "promises to be eventful," the Times predicts. Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to hold a special session next month to redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms.