--- title: Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District description: Gregory clinched a narrow upset victory in the state House district, less than two years after the President won the area by double digits. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/emily-gregory-mar-a-lago-trump-district-florida-state-house/ author: Tiago Ventura article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-03-30T16:19:36.638Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-13T06:52:24.810Z article:section: Politics og:title: Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District og:description: Gregory clinched a narrow upset victory in the state House district, less than two years after the President won the area by double digits. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/emily-gregory-mar-a-lago-trump-district-florida-state-house/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b97c9fc8ab1d2d8/69c41fea1a4165213ea4e0af/emily-gregory-florida-mar-a-lago-trump-state-house-election.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2508 og:image:height: 1411 og:image:alt: emily-gregory-florida-mar-a-lago-trump-state-house-election.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District twitter:description: Gregory clinched a narrow upset victory in the state House district, less than two years after the President won the area by double digits. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b97c9fc8ab1d2d8/69c41fea1a4165213ea4e0af/emily-gregory-florida-mar-a-lago-trump-state-house-election.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District [Watch (HLS stream): Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dMDcRJqJ.m3u8) (2:05)  _Published 2026-03-30. Gregory clinched a narrow upset victory in the state House district, less than two years after the President won the area by double digits._  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Mar 30, 2026 4:19 PM UTC  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Mar 30, 2026 4:19 PM UTC Democrat Emily Gregory flipped a Florida state House district that includes [Mar-a-Lago](https://time.com/4669323/mar-a-ago-winter-white-house-pictures-photos/), the Palm Beach estate President Donald Trump claims as his residence, delivering a narrow upset in an area the President won by double digits less than two years ago. Gregory defeated Republican Jon Maples, who had been endorsed by Trump a day earlier. “Jon Maples has my complete and total endorsement!” Trump [wrote](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116281041925886913) in a social media post. “To all great patriots in Florida State House District 87th: get out and vote for Jon Maples.” The special election was triggered after Republican Mike Caruso vacated the seat to [become](https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/about-us/about-clerk-caruso) Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller. He had [won](https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=11/5/2024&DATAMODE=) the district by 19 percentage points in 2024. Gregory [secured](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/results-florida-special-march-24.html) the seat by a 2.4 percentage point margin, or 797 votes, winning 51.2% of the votes against Maples’ 48.8%. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said the result “reiterates an undeniable trend in Florida.” “With year round organizing and infrastructure investment, Democrats can run and win anywhere–including Donald Trump’s backyard,” she told TIME. A spokesperson from Gregory’s team framed this election as an indication that voters in the district are “ready for a new direction for Florida, one that focuses on lowering costs and solving the everyday challenges families are facing.” “People are feeling the pressure of rising insurance premiums, housing costs, groceries, and gas, and they want leaders who are focused on those issues instead of political distractions,” the spokesperson told TIME. The win adds to a [recent string](https://time.com/7331260/republican-reactions-democrat-wins-elections-mamdani-trump-midterms/) of Democratic overperformances in special elections, following victories in the [New Jersey](https://time.com/7331194/mikie-sherrill-wins-new-jersey-governor-race/) and [Virginia](https://time.com/7381038/abigail-spanberger-democratic-party-rebuttal-state-of-the-union/) gubernatorial races in November. It also comes as the war in Iran continues to [escalate](https://time.com/article/2026/03/24/iran-israel-trade-strikes-trump-war-peace-talks-disputed/) and Trump’s approval rating has slipped from 40% last week to 36%, according to a [Reuters/Ipsos poll](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-approval-hits-new-36-low-fuel-prices-surge-amid-iran-war-reutersipsos-2026-03-24/)—the lowest of his presidency. Democrats are framing Gregory’s victory as momentum ahead of November’s midterm elections. “If Democrats can win in Trump’s backyard, we sure as hell can win anywhere across the country. Onward to November!” Democratic National Committee Chair Kevin Martin [said](https://x.com/kenmartin73/status/2036600427261673492). Gregory said during a press briefing on Wednesday morning that she felt “honoured and humbled” by this victory in Florida. “Not a lot of people thought this was possible, but myself and my family, we just believed we deserved better in our area,” she said. “We believed our community deserved a leader that was willing to go to Tallahassee and fight for them with no other agenda than to lower costs and to solve the issues in the affordability crisis that's affecting all of us.” ## Gregory is a first-time candidate Gregory, a first-time candidate, [previously](https://www.emilygregoryforflorida.com/about) worked as a small business owner and public health professional. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Wake Forest and Columbia University. She also led a Palm Beach-based fitness community for pregnant and postpartum women. [Married](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSlZZkmgfUE/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fcopy%5Flink&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==) to Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Gregory, she has described herself as an “army wife,” and is a mother of three. On the campaign trail, Gregory [said](https://www.contrariannews.org/p/can-mar-a-lago-turn-blue) she had been “noodling on it for some years now” before deciding to run, citing the [COVID-19 pandemic](https://time.com/covid-19-one-year-later-america-photos/) and the Black Lives Matter protests following the [killing of George Floyd](https://time.com/5847967/george-floyd-protests-trump/) as key motivators. “We're a normal family, my husband, my three children. We work hard and we want the same things that the rest of our neighbours do,” Gregory said during the press briefing on Wednesday. “I just wanted to see what it would be like, and if we could try a different voice, a voice that was willing to fight against special interests and to fight for Florida families, no matter what your family looks like, whether that's a big extended family like mine or friends that are family.” ## Gregory will have Trump as one of her constituents Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence falls within Florida’s state House District 87, now represented by Gregory, meaning she will serve as his representative in the Florida House of Representatives. “I would always be open to having a conversation. I'm open to having a conversation with anyone about anything,” Gregory said when responding to a question by TIME in the briefing on Wednesday. According to [records](https://www.votepalmbeach.gov/170/My-Status), Trump voted by mail-in ballot in the special election. A day before the election he [called](https://youtu.be/jwwjmWKMWjM?t=774) mail-in voting “cheating” and has constantly [pressed](https://time.com/article/2026/03/10/trump-save-america-act-republicans-congress-voter-ID-senate-john-thune/) for the Senate to pass the [SAVE America act](https://time.com/7280834/save-act-voting-access-history/), which would restrict mail-in ballots. “My thoughts on my most famous constituent is that I will work as hard for every single one of the constituents in district 87 and not elevate anyone over the rest,” she said. She framed her campaign as having focused on local issues rather than national politics. “The things that work for all Florida families, lowering property insurance, expanding health care and strengthening our public schools, that is what I am focused on,” she said. ## Gregory opposes mid-cycle redistricting in Florida Gregory promised during the campaign to oppose any [redistricting](https://time.com/7304038/gerrymandering-partisan-racial-redistricting-trump-texas-republicans/) before the midterms this November. “I'm opposed to any calls to redistrict before the midterms,” she told TIME. “This is a direct call from the President to gerrymander in favour of Republicans.” Trump has [pushed](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115064705209848959) Republicans to redraw district maps to favor the party in various parts of the country, particularly red states like [Indiana](https://time.com/7340193/indiana-redistricting-trump-rodric-bray-senate-republican-vote-primaries-explainer/), Texas, and Florida. “The overwhelming majority of Floridians made partisan gerrymandering illegal in 2010 with the [Fair District's amendment](https://ballotpedia.org/Fair%5FDistricts%5FNow). So constitutionally, it's illegal,” Gregory said. “We know the voters don't want this, and this is another example of the state legislature not listening to the people they represent, so I will do everything in my power to fight it. It's a complete power grab for the midterms, or an attempt at one.” ## Gregory and her family oppose the Iran war While the state House doesn't have any legislative power over foreign policy or the direction of the war in Iran, Gregory confirmed to TIME that she and her family opposed the conflict. “We are opposed to forever wars, wars that have no justification that's been given to the American people, cost a billion plus a day and impacts us personally,” she said. Gregory told TIME that her husband, who was active in the U.S. army for many years, is currently part of reserves. “We are concerned as we're concerned for all of the troops in harm's way, and we pray for all of the members of the armed forces and their families,” she added. Gregory’s opposition as the U.S. has deployed [thousands of Marines](https://time.com/article/2026/03/24/marines-deployed-iran-war-trump/) and several more battleships to the Middle East amidst fears of further escalation and potential boots on the ground in Iran. ## Transcript I'm 40 years old, I'm from here. And the state looked a lot different when I was a kid. We have an amazing history of Democratic governors that govern really well, and put the people of Florida first and really found pragmatic solutions to the policies of the 90s. And I just thought, we can get back there. You know, we we are in this place now, but this isn't fixed. This isn't forever. We know the voter breakdown and just mathematically, um, many of my Republican neighbors and many of my independent neighbors, neighbors must have voted for me because so few fewer Democrats participated. Every Republican in the district was aware there was a special election, and still a large number of them voted for me, of which I feel great pride, because that was sort of my assumption going in, is that I have a lot of Republican friends. I have a lot of independent friends, I have a lot of Democratic friends. And we agree on the vast majority of issues. Um, and we can find compromise on health care, on housing, on education. I just have to talk to each other and listen. I think sometimes the political class gets really fixated in that things are static and they can't move. And as you know, pretty much a political outsider. Um, I just don't I don't see that. I don't see people as being, um, unable to form new opinions. And when presented with better options, consider them. Nothing impacts your life more than what happens at the state level. So please tune in. I know that there is less coverage and it's harder to find, but in terms of what it's actually affecting your your pocketbook, what's actually affecting your access to, you know, clean water and strong schools and the things that really matter to you that's happening at your state house. So tune in, lean in. And, you know, maybe if we pay a little bit less attention to what's happening in DC, they'll start behaving better. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/emily-gregory-mar-a-lago-trump-district-florida-state-house/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/emily-gregory-mar-a-lago-trump-district-florida-state-house/"},"headline":"Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District","datePublished":"2026-03-30T16:19:36.638Z","dateModified":"2026-05-13T06:52:24.810Z","description":"Gregory clinched a narrow upset victory in the state House district, less than two years after the President won the area by double digits.","url":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/emily-gregory-mar-a-lago-trump-district-florida-state-house/","keywords":["democrats","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b97c9fc8ab1d2d8/69c41fea1a4165213ea4e0af/emily-gregory-florida-mar-a-lago-trump-state-house-election.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tiago Ventura","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3b97c9fc8ab1d2d8/69c41fea1a4165213ea4e0af/emily-gregory-florida-mar-a-lago-trump-state-house-election.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"emily-gregory-florida-mar-a-lago-trump-state-house-election.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/democrats/","name":"democrats"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/emily-gregory-mar-a-lago-trump-district-florida-state-house/","name":"Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Meet Emily Gregory, the Democrat Who Flipped Trump’s Mar-a-Lago District","description":"Gregory clinched a narrow upset victory in the state House district, less than two years after the President won the area by double digits.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/dMDcRJqJ/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2026-03-30T16:04:57.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dMDcRJqJ.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/emily-gregory-mar-a-lago-trump-district-florida-state-house/","duration":"PT2M5S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/emily-gregory-mar-a-lago-trump-district-florida-state-house/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```