On March 24, 2026, Democrat Emily Gregory secured a victory that few political observers had predicted when the race first began. She won the special election for Florida State House District 87 — a seat located in the same Palm Beach County neighborhood as President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate — and in doing so became the first Democrat to hold that seat in more than twenty years.
This was not a routine down-ballot race. For residents of Palm Beach County, political analysts, and observers watching national trends, the Emily Gregory Florida election carried real meaning beyond a single legislative seat. It raised pointed questions about the strength of Republican dominance in Florida, the effectiveness of local organizing, and what voters may be signaling ahead of the 2026 midterms. This article covers everything you need to know — from the candidates’ backgrounds and campaign platforms to the final vote totals and what comes next.
Who Is Emily Gregory?
Emily Gregory is a 40-year-old entrepreneur and lifelong South Florida resident who entered this race as a first-time candidate with no prior experience in elected office. She owns and operates a Jupiter-based fitness studio that caters specifically to pregnant women and new mothers, and her husband serves in the United States Army.
Her campaign stayed firmly rooted in the economic realities facing everyday District 87 residents. Rather than leaning on national partisan messaging, Gregory focused on issues her neighbors deal with directly: surging home insurance premiums, the growing unaffordability of housing, gaps in healthcare access, and the state of public schools. That disciplined focus on local concerns — rather than Washington-level culture war debates — helped her cut through in a district that had been solidly in Republican hands for years.
Emily Gregory’s Age, Roots, and Voter Connection
Gregory’s age of 40 placed her among a younger wave of Democratic candidates running in Florida, but it was her community credibility, not her age, that distinguished her campaign. Having grown up and built a business in South Florida, she wasn’t an outsider making promises from a distance. She was already experiencing the same cost-of-living pressures she spoke about on the campaign trail, and voters recognized that. Her story — a working business owner, a military spouse, a community member — gave her a relatability that transcended traditional party allegiances.
Who Is Jon Maples?
Jon Maples, 43, is a financial adviser and former elected council member from Lake Clarke Shores. A standout collegiate athlete at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he earned All-American recognition, Maples brought both a polished professional background and a strong résumé in local governance to the race.
His campaign platform centered on lowering taxes, rolling back government regulations, expanding school choice programs, and stimulating private-sector economic growth. He entered the race with arguably the most powerful political endorsement available: President Donald Trump personally backed Maples, posting a full-throated endorsement on social media the evening before Election Day and confirming that he had already cast a mail-in ballot in support. Maples also drew support from Rep. Byron Donalds and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, giving him a formidable coalition of institutional backing. Even so, it was not enough.
Emily Gregory HD 87 Election Results
The official results from the Florida State House District 87 special election tell the story of an extremely tight contest:
- Emily Gregory (Democrat): 17,113 votes — 51.19%
- Jon Maples (Republican): 16,316 votes — 48.81%
- Total votes cast: 33,470
- Overall voter turnout: 28.82% out of 116,128 registered voters
All 156 precincts submitted their results. While the margin between the two candidates was just under 800 votes, the shift it represented compared to recent elections was anything but small. In 2024, former Republican Rep. Mike Caruso carried this same district by nearly 20 percentage points. Trump himself won HD 87 by roughly 9 points in the presidential contest that year. Gregory’s win, therefore, reflected a swing of approximately 11 points toward Democrats — a dramatic realignment within a single election cycle.
Both candidates had reached the general election after strong primary performances in January 2026, each capturing over 80% of votes in their respective party contests.
What Is Florida State House District 87?
HD 87 stretches along Florida’s southeastern Atlantic coastline, covering a collection of communities across northern Palm Beach County:
- Jupiter
- Palm Beach Gardens
- Riviera Beach
- Juno Beach
- Lake Park
- Palm Beach Shores
- Hypoluxo
- Parts of Lake Worth Beach
The district carries unusual national weight because it encompasses the area surrounding Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s private club and primary residence in Palm Beach. That single geographic detail transformed what might otherwise have been a low-profile state legislative race into a contest watched by news outlets and political strategists across the country.
The HD 87 seat had sat empty since August 2025, when Republican Rep. Mike Caruso stepped down after Governor Ron DeSantis appointed him as Palm Beach County’s clerk and comptroller. The resulting gap in representation stretched for nearly two months before a special election was officially scheduled — a delay that led Gregory to file a legal challenge arguing that constituents were being left without a voice in the state legislature. Once DeSantis announced the election date, Gregory withdrew her lawsuit, but the episode underscored how politically charged this race had become even before a single ballot was cast.
What Laura Ann Levites’ Campaign Reveals About the Democratic Primary in HD 87
The Laura Ann Levites State House 87 primary campaign was one part of a broader Democratic primary field that ultimately coalesced around Emily Gregory. Understanding the primary landscape matters because it shows just how thoroughly Gregory had secured her party’s support before she ever faced a Republican opponent.
Winning more than 80% of the Democratic primary vote is not a common result. It signals strong organizational infrastructure, effective grassroots outreach, and a candidate whose message genuinely landed with the base. The lessons drawn from the primary — including what kinds of voters were energized and which precincts showed the strongest turnout — almost certainly shaped how Gregory’s team approached the general election. Primary dominance of that scale often translates into a motivated volunteer network and a cleaner, better-funded campaign operation heading into the fall matchup.
Where HD 87 Fits in the Broader Democratic Momentum Story
The Emily Gregory Florida election did not occur in isolation. It was the latest chapter in a pattern that has been building since Trump’s second term began in January 2025: Democrats have now flipped 29 Republican-held seats across state legislatures nationwide. HD 87 was specifically the 10th GOP-held state legislative seat to change hands in Democrats’ favor during this period — while Republicans had yet to flip a single Democratic-held state legislative seat in the same stretch.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried framed the result as evidence that Democrats are capable of competing and winning in places the party had previously written off. Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Chair Heather Williams argued that the competitiveness of HD 87 should be treated as a serious warning for Republican strategists looking ahead to November’s elections.
The Republican National Committee offered a measured counterpoint, observing that special elections — particularly those with lower-than-average turnout — do not always accurately predict how a district will perform in a higher-stakes general election environment. That point is not without merit. However, with Trump’s approval rating sitting in the upper 30s to low 40s in most national polling at the time of the HD 87 vote, Democrats viewed the outcome as more than an isolated data point.
Emily Gregory’s Plans for Tallahassee
Following her victory, Gregory articulated a clear legislative agenda focused on the concerns she had raised throughout her campaign. She spoke about the urgency of addressing Florida’s housing affordability crisis, advocating for working families being squeezed by insurance costs, and ensuring that public schools receive adequate support. Her message was consistent from primary through general election: everyday Floridians deserve a state government that actually works in their interest.
House Democratic Leader-Designate Christine Hunschofsky highlighted that Gregory’s presence in the legislature would be particularly valuable during upcoming Special Sessions focused on redistricting and the state budget — two areas with outsized consequences for Palm Beach County residents. Gregory is also widely expected to appear on the November 2026 ballot as she seeks a full two-year term in the seat she just won.
FAQ:
Who is Emily Gregory and what motivated her to run for office?
Emily Gregory is a 40-year-old South Florida native and small business owner who ran for Florida State House District 87 in 2026 with no prior background in elected politics. Her motivation was straightforward: she saw her Palm Beach County neighbors struggling with housing costs, insurance premiums, and limited healthcare options, and she decided to do something about it rather than wait for someone else to step up.
What were the official results of the Emily Gregory versus Jon Maples race?
Gregory claimed victory with 51.19% of the total vote, which translated to 17,113 ballots. Jon Maples received 48.81%, or 16,316 votes. Total participation stood at 33,470 voters — representing a turnout rate of 28.82% among the district’s 116,128 registered voters.
Which district does Emily Gregory now represent?
Gregory represents Florida State House District 87, a northern Palm Beach County district encompassing communities such as Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Riviera Beach, Juno Beach, and Lake Park. The district also includes the area around President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
Why did Gregory’s win receive so much attention beyond Florida?
The level of attention stemmed from a combination of factors: the district’s geographic proximity to Mar-a-Lago, the fact that no Democrat had won the seat in over twenty years, the scale of the swing from previous Republican margins, and the broader national pattern of Democrats flipping Republican-held state legislative seats since Trump’s second term began.
What does this result suggest for the 2026 Florida midterm elections?
Gregory’s win added to a streak of Democratic gains in state legislative special elections across the country. National Democratic strategists viewed the result as encouraging evidence that the party’s organizing model is working even in competitive Republican territory. Whether that momentum carries into November 2026 — when turnout will be significantly higher — remains the central question for both parties.
Reading the Map After Emily Gregory’s Historic Win
The significance of the Emily Gregory Florida election extends well beyond one seat in one state legislative chamber. For Democrats, it demonstrates that a candidate who speaks plainly about local economic hardship, builds genuine community trust, and runs a disciplined campaign can compete and win in places that once seemed out of reach. For Republicans, it serves as a concrete reminder that geographic proximity to powerful allies does not guarantee electoral safety.
Gregory now carries a straightforward mandate into the Florida House: work to make housing more attainable, push back on runaway insurance costs, expand healthcare access, and strengthen public education across Palm Beach County. Her path forward in Tallahassee will be an important test of whether a Democrat can make a lasting mark in a chamber still dominated by Republicans.
Whether November 2026 confirms or complicates the story of HD 87 will depend on turnout, candidates, and the political environment months from now. What is already clear is that Emily Gregory changed the map — and both parties took notice.
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