Overview
- Emily Gregory won Tuesday’s special election in Florida House District 87 with 51% to 49%, a 797-vote margin, according to the Associated Press.
- The coastal seat that includes Mar-a-Lago backed Trump by about 10 to 11 points in 2024 as Republican Mike Caruso won reelection there by 19 points.
- Trump endorsed Republican Jon Maples and cast a mail-in ballot, while Gregory, a first-time candidate and small business owner, ran on affordability, insurance costs, schools and healthcare.
- Republicans still hold a supermajority in the Florida Legislature, yet Mar-a-Lago is now represented by Democrats in the state House, the state Senate and the U.S. House.
- Democrats frame the result as part of a broader run of special-election gains before 2026, while right-leaning outlets stress low-turnout dynamics and note the GOP’s continued control of the state.