Democratic victory in Florida state house special election near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Consensus Summary
Democrats secured a surprise victory in Florida’s 87th state house district special election, flipping a seat previously held by Republican Mike Caruso, who won by 19 points in 2024. Emily Gregory, a first-time candidate with no political experience, defeated Jon Maples, who had Trump’s endorsement. The race occurred in a district encompassing Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate, and highlights growing voter dissatisfaction with Republicans ahead of the midterms. Both sources confirm Trump voted by mail despite his public opposition to the practice, though interpretations of his stance differ. The win marks the 29th Republican-held seat Democrats have flipped since Trump’s return to office, signaling potential midterm challenges for the GOP. While both articles agree on key facts like the margin of victory and Trump’s involvement, details about Gregory’s platform and the broader political implications vary slightly between sources.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Emily Gregory (Democrat) defeated Jon Maples (Republican) in Florida’s 87th state house district special election, with Gregory leading by 2.4 percentage points (797 votes).
- The seat was previously held by Republican Mike Caruso, who won by 19 percentage points in the 2024 general election before resigning to become Palm Beach County clerk.
- Donald Trump endorsed Republican candidate Jon Maples in the race and voted by mail despite publicly criticizing mail-in voting as fraudulent.
- Donald Trump switched his personal residence and voter registration to Florida during his first term and currently resides at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach County.
- The district includes Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate, and the win marks the 29th Republican-held seat Democrats have flipped since Trump’s return to office.
- Emily Gregory is a public health expert and small business owner with no prior political experience, while Jon Maples is a financial adviser who self-identifies as an ‘America-First patriot’.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Heather Williams (Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee president) stated on social media that ‘Mar-a-Lago just flipped red to blue, which should have Republicans sweating the midterms’ and noted Democrats have flipped 29 districts since Trump’s election.
- 314 Action, a pro-Democratic scientist political committee, endorsed Gregory and claimed ‘a Stem wave is coming,’ emphasizing her scientific background and evidence-based decision-making.
- Shaughnessy Naughton (314 Action president) said Gregory ‘is bringing science back to the state house and heading to the capitol on a mission to lower costs, restore healthcare, and bring down the temperature in Tallahassee.’
- The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening, with Gregory leading by over 2 percentage points.
- Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin said, ‘Donald Trump’s own neighbors just sent a crystal clear message: They are furious and ready for change,’
- Emily Gregory described her victory as a ‘fairly out-of-body experience’ and noted she had never run for office before, owning a fitness company for pregnant/postpartum women.
- The Brookings Institution reported in 2025 that mail voting fraud occurred in only 0.000043% of total mail ballots cast (about four cases per 10 million votes).
- White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales defended Trump’s mail-in vote, stating the SAVE America Act allows exceptions for illness, disability, military, or travel but opposes ‘universal mail-in voting’ due to fraud risks.
- Trump distanced himself from the loss, saying ‘I’m not involved in that,’ despite endorsing Maples in a district he won by 17 points in 2024.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian reports Trump voted via mail-in ballot ‘despite criticizing the practice as “mail-in cheating” during an event in Tennessee this week,’ while ABC notes Trump’s criticism was directed at ‘universal mail-in voting’ and not individual accommodations.
- The Guardian states Gregory led by ‘more than 2 percentage points’ without specifying the exact margin, while ABC specifies she led by 2.4 percentage points (797 votes).
- The Guardian mentions Gregory’s win as part of a broader ‘Stem wave’ narrative, while ABC does not reference this term or the 314 Action endorsement.
- The Guardian highlights Gregory’s focus on ‘lowering costs, restoring healthcare, and bringing down the temperature in Tallahassee,’ a detail not included in ABC’s coverage.
- ABC notes Trump was a New Yorker for most of his life and switched his residence to Florida during his first term, while the Guardian does not elaborate on this context beyond his current residency at Mar-a-Lago.
Source Articles
Democrats flip seat in Florida state house in district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Emily Gregory defeats Republican Jon Maples in district that is home to US president’s Palm Beach estate Democrats managed to flip a seat in the Florida state house in the district that is home to Don...
Democrats flip seat in Florida district home to Mar-a-Lago resort
Democrats celebrate the victory as the latest sign voters are turning against Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of November's midterm elections....