Mar-a-Lago turns red and blue? Emily Gregory defeats Republican in Florida home of Trump estate
Democrat Emily Gregory won Florida’s special election, which President Donald Trump also voted for.
Florida Democrat Emily Gregory defeated Republican Jon Maples, who was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump, in the special election for Florida’s 87th State House District. Gregory, a public health expert and small business owner, is a first-time candidate and her victory does not surprise her. “When I started this nine months ago, I obviously thought it was possible,” Gregory told MSNBC on Tuesday night. “I probably did some crazy calculations to decide this was a flip opportunity, but it was,” she later added. “We did it. So my math worked.”Gregory supported Maples 51 percent to 49 percent of the vote, with all precincts reporting.President Trump votes in races via mail-in ballots, despite his dislike of primary voting. “Mar-a-Lago just flipped from red to blue, which should make Republicans nervous heading into the midterms,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Chairwoman Heather Williams said on social media. “Trump +11 should not be good for Democrats in his own backyard, but tonight proved the Republican Party is vulnerable everywhere.”Williams said state Democrats have flipped 29 precincts since Trump was elected.Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin celebrated the victory on the X, saying voters “sent a message.”“If Democrats can win in Trump’s backyard, we can certainly win anywhere in the country. On to November!” Martin wrote.“This victory reiterates an undeniable trend in Florida: With year-round organizational and infrastructure investments, Democrats can campaign and win anywhere, including Donald Trump’s backyard. Floridians are tired of chaos, corruption and sky-high prices for everything from groceries to gas and health care. They voted for trusted leaders like Emily to stabilize the situation and bring common sense and people-centered solutions back to our communities,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried.
