President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home will now fall under Democratic representation in the Florida State House, after Emily Gregory won the district by turning it in her party's favor during Tuesday's special election. The Republican president had been aggressively backed 40-year-old Gregory's opponent, Jon Maples.
In a social media post on Monday, Trump encouraged voters to show up at the polls, noting that Maples was supported "by so many of my Palm Beach County friends." The seat had previously been held by Republican Mike Caruso, who stepped down to take on the role of Palm Beach County clerk. In 2024, Caruso had secured the position with a comfortable 19-point victory.
Glamorous Dem in Charge
Trump won the district by roughly 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential race. Democrats, however, are treating this result as another indication that voter sentiment may be shifting away from Trump and the GOP.
"Mar-a-Lago just flipped from red to blue, which should have Republicans worried about the midterms," said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
She added that this marks the 29th district Democrats have managed to turn from Republican control since Trump assumed office. "Gas prices are spiking, grocery costs are up, and families can't get by — it's clear voters at the polls are fed up with Republicans," Williams said.
With nearly all the ballots counted, Emily Gregory was ahead by 2.4 percentage points — a margin of 797 votes.
The seat had been vacant since August, after Caruso was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last summer to serve as county clerk and comptroller.
Trump, who changed his official residency to Florida in 2019 during his first term, has since considered Mar-a-Lago his primary home between his first and second terms.
He also faced criticism for casting his vote in the special election by mail, according to The New York Times — something he has previously described as "mail-in cheating" and even called "tremendous corruption" while speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Trump's Hypocrisy
The White House dismissed claims of hypocrisy, pointing instead to Trump's backing of the SAVE Act, which permits what it calls "commonsense exceptions" for mail-in voting in cases such as illness, disability, military service, or travel. A spokesperson added that while the president opposes widespread mail-in voting due to concerns it could be vulnerable to fraud, limited use under specific circumstances is acceptable.
"As everyone knows, the President is a resident of Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, D.C. This is a non-story," spokesperson Olivia Wales said.
Gregory, a mother of three, also built her own small business using her background in health and exercise science. She founded FIT4MOM Palm Beach, which offers fitness classes designed for pregnant women and new mothers.
She has also spoken about her life and experiences as a military spouse.
On Monday, the Palm Beach Post, a local newspaper, endorsed Gregory.
Earlier in January, Trump threw his support behind the Republican candidate ahead of the state House special election primary, describing him as a "very successful businessman and civic leader."
He added that, if elected, Maples would work hard to grow the economy, cut taxes and regulations, promote U.S.-made products, tackle migrant crime, protect elections, support the military, veterans, and law enforcement, and defend the Second Amendment, which he said is "always under siege."
In the lead-up to Tuesday's vote, the Florida Democratic Party questioned whether Maples actually lives in the district.
They claimed that during the January 12 primary, he used a voter registration address linked to a motel in Palm Beach Shores — and alleged that the same address was listed again on March 14.
Democrats also called on Maples to withdraw from the race. Under Florida law, a candidate only needs to live in the district at the time they are sworn in as a representative.
The seat in question — Florida's House District 87 — has typically leaned Republican. Maples also had an edge in fundraising compared to his Democratic opponent, and Republicans continue to hold an overall advantage in voter registration statewide, according to Florida Politics.
Even so, Democrats believed the district could be turned, noting that special elections often produce unexpected outcomes. They also pointed to a recent win in nearby Boca Raton, where Democrat Andy Thomson was elected mayor — marking the city's first Democratic mayor in 45 years.
