Democrats have flipped a seat in the Florida legislature that includes much of outlying Palm Beach, including President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Emily Gregory is projected to win the special election for House District 87. That district includes South Palm Beach, Jupiter, Juno Beach, and much of the surrounding waterfront area. The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections shows Gregory accruing 17,113 votes, topping Jon Maples who received 16,316 votes.
The numbers don’t include some mail-in votes, and so the supervisor must certify the election. But the election is a drastic shift. The Florida Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Maples, considered the district “lean Republican.”
In the 2024 presidential election, Trump carried the district by 55% to 44%, and at a state level, Gov. Ron DeSantis won it 58% to 41% in 2022.
A military spouse and small business owner, Gregory has never run for office. She says she has a career in public health and lives in Jupiter.
Her real estate positions include advocating for a state-funded “public safety net to handle catastrophic losses.” Gregory believes such a model would reduce the cost of property insurance coverage in the state.
She’s also proposing a state-backed loan fund with zero-interest support for structural improvements to condominium developments. She believes this is a solution to rising renter and condominium owner costs.
“This victory reiterates an undeniable trend in Florida: with year-round organizing and infrastructure investment, Democrats can run and win anywhere—including Donald Trump’s backyard,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement.
Democrats last won the seat in 2020, but its boundaries changed when the state underwent redistricting in 2022. Republicans then won it in 2022 and 2024. The 120-member chamber of the Florida legislature is 70% controlled by Republicans.