Democrats Flip Florida District That Includes Mar-a-Lago -- Update

Dow Jones03-25 21:52

By Gareth Vipers

Democrats flipped a Florida house seat in the district that is home to President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, a symbolic local election win for the party ahead of November's midterms.

First-time candidate Emily Gregory beat Trump-backed Republican Jon Maples in a special election for the open Florida District 87 state house seat Tuesday, according to Associated Press projections.

The Palm Beach County district was previously represented by Republican Mike Caruso, who stepped down in August to become the county's clerk and comptroller.

Trump actively backed Maples in the race, urging supporters in a social-media post Monday to cast their votes for "the Businessman and Civic Leader."

While the win won't change the balance of power in the Florida House of Representatives, where Republicans maintain a supermajority, the loss of such a symbolic seat will likely rankle Trump. The president spends a lot of his time at Mar-a-Lago, a roughly 17-acre waterfront estate on Palm Beach's Billionaires' Row.

Democrats celebrated the special-election victory. "Floridians are tired of the chaos, corruption, and sky high prices on everything from groceries, to gas, and healthcare," Nikki Fried, the chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, said.

"If Democrats can win in Trump's backyard, we sure as hell can win anywhere across the country," Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, wrote in a post on X. "Onward to November!"

Democrats have performed well in recent local elections, flipping dozens of state legislative seats since the start of Trump's second term in 2024, according to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

Tuesday's result is the latest victory for Democrats in Florida, a state that has been typically dominated by Republicans in recent years. In December, Eileen Higgins became the first Democrat to win the Miami mayoral office in around three decades.

Write to Gareth Vipers at gareth.vipers@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 25, 2026 09:52 ET (13:52 GMT)

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