A Democrat is poised to represent President Donald Trump and his Mar-a-Lago residence in the Florida state House of Representatives after Republicans lost a special election in a surprise upset.
The Democratic candidate, Emily Gregory, was projected to defeat her Republican opponent, Jon Maples, in a special election Tuesday, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Republicans hold a wide majority in the Florida statehouse, so the upset will have little effect on state politics. But it represents a symbolic win for Democrats and warning sign for Republicans ahead of the November congressional midterms where the GOP is battling to retain their majorities in the US House and Senate.
Trump easily won Florida’s 87th legislative district in 2024. It includes Palm Beach, which Trump declared as his primary residence during his first term, switching from Manhattan’s Trump Tower to his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The loss is also personal for Trump who backed Maples, on Monday posting on social media that he gave the Republican candidate “MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
The defeat may also complicate GOP plans to redraw US House maps in Florida in a way that could net Republicans more seats. That’s because spreading Republican voters out more thinly across more districts may reduce their average partisan lean — making them easier for Democrats to pick up if they have a particularly good year. Political scientists call that rare scenario a “dummymander” — because it’s when an attempt to gerrymander seats bites the drawers of the map harder than their opposition.
Gregory, according to her campaign website runs a fitness center for recent mothers and pregnant women. Like many successful Democratic candidates in Trump’s second term, she emphasized the cost of living and pledged “to fight for a healthier, more affordable Florida where families can thrive.”
Gregory’s win adds to a series of Democratic victories or over-performances in off-cycle and special elections in recent months. As polls show that voters have soured on Trump’s handling of the economy, Democrats sense opportunity in national, as well as state and local, races.
The unpopularity of the Iran war, begun by the US and Israel on Feb. 28, has only intensified Democratic optimism and Republican anxieties.
–With assistance from Derek Wallbank.
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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