Democrats win Florida special election, flip GOP-held seat in Trump’s home turf
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Florida Democrats on Tuesday flipped control It’s a long-vacant state House seat held by Republicans in a Palm Beach district that includes Mar-a-Lago, home of President Donald Trump.
The Associated Press reported that Democrat Emily Gregory defeated Republican Jon Maples in a special election in Florida’s House District 87 in the race to fill the seat left vacant when GOP state Rep. Mike Caruso resigned last August to become Palm Beach County clerk and auditor.
The ballot box battle was one of three special legislative elections held Tuesday in GOP-dominated Florida. And while the contests won’t change the balance of power in the state legislature, where Republicans have held majorities in both the House and Senate chambers for more than a quarter-century, bragging rights were being usurped in the president’s home district.
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President Donald Trump is supporting Republican Jon Maples in a special legislative election Tuesday in Florida’s House District 87, which includes the president’s permanent residence, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images; AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
Maples was supported by Trump, who moved his primary permanent residence from Trump Tower in New York City to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2019. He is also backed by some of the Sunshine State’s leading Republicans.
“There is a very important Special Election tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th for Florida State House District 87 in beautiful Palm Beach County – JON MAPLES HAS MY COMPLETE AND COMPLETE APPROVAL!” The president wrote in a social media post Monday evening:
Maples, 43, a financial planner and former member of the Lake Clarke Shores Council, was an all-American athlete during her years at Palm Beach Atlantic University; cut taxes and government spending, reduced regulations, encouraged private sector job creation, and advanced school choice.
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Gregory, a 40-year-old Army spouse, owns and operates a Jupiter-based fitness center for pregnant and postpartum women. The first-time candidate has highlighted affordability, increasing public education, combating rising property insurance and housing costs, and access to health care in key parts of his campaign.
Maples was the favorite heading into the special election thanks to her fundraising advantage in a right-leaning district. Trump leads the district by nearly 10 points in his 2024 re-election victory. Palm Beach County was once solidly blue until the recent GOP surge.
