By Molly English, Randi Kaye, CNN
(CNN) – Florida Democrats are looking to take advantage of their recent successes in special elections and hope to win a state House seat for a Palm Beach district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on Tuesday.
This presents a chance for Democrats in the traditionally Republican Sunshine State to achieve a rare victory. A win tonight would mean that Mar-a-Lago is represented by three Democrats across the Florida state House, Senate, and US House.
Emily Gregory, a business owner and military spouse running for office for the first time as a Democrat, will compete against Republican Jon Maples, who previously served as a council member in nearby Lake Shores and received Trump’s “Complete and Total Endorsement” back in January.
“Jon is a very successful Businessman and Civic Leader, who is known and loved,” Trump said in another post on Monday reiterating his endorsement of Maples. “Jon will be a terrific Legislator!”
The 87th District has been without representation since August when former Republican state Rep. Mike Caruso left to become the Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller after winning reelection by 19 points last year. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump won this district by 11 points.
Despite Trump’s significant presence in his home district, both Gregory and Maples have mainly focused on affordability issues-an area where Democrats found success in the 2025 elections while Republicans have faced challenges during Trump’s second term.
In an interview with CNN on Monday, Gregory mentioned she was “good about blocking out the noise” regarding Trump throughout her campaign and emphasized her focus on the over 180,000 residents in her district.
CNN also reached out to Maples’ campaign for an interview but hasn’t received any response yet.
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. CNN’s Meridith Edwards and Ethan Cohen contributed to this report.
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A string of Democratic wins in special elections
Special elections typically see low voter turnout, which means enthusiasm among voters can sway results more than usual compared to larger elections. If Gregory secures a win, it would add another achievement for Democrats following last year when they flipped over 20 state legislative seats through both special and regular elections. This year alone, Democrats have successfully flipped seats in Arkansas, New Hampshire, and Texas-where they claimed a state Senate district that had backed Trump by 17 points in 2024. The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. CNN’s Meridith Edwards and Ethan Cohen contributed to this report.
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