US Democrats win election in Florida constituency that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago base

US Democrats on Tuesday flipped a Florida legislative district that includes President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, pulling off another upset in a state house election but this time one with obvious symbolic power.

Emily Gregory, a first-time candidate with a public health background, became the latest Democrat to win a special election and claim a statehouse seat previously held by a Republican.

Across the state, another Democrat, Brian Nathan, a Navy veteran and electrical workers union leader, was leading a tight West Tampa race for a state senate seat vacated by Florida’s newly appointed lieutenant governor.

Since the 2024 presidential election, Democrats have flipped more than two dozen seats in Republican or battleground states — including ones in Arkansas and New Hampshire earlier this month — while the Republicans have not captured any Democratic seats.
Republican strategists have framed the losses as a natural regression following big gains in 2024 in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals across the country.

But Democrats see in the results a mounting anger in the electorate over Mr. Trump that could carry through November and the midterm elections. Ms. Gregory’s victory brought the trend into Mr. Trump’s backyard, in a state that has trended heavily Republican since its days as a perennial battleground.

“Floridians are tired of the chaos, corruption, and sky high prices on everything from groceries, to gas, and health care,” Nikki Fried, the chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, said in a statement. “They are voting for trusted leaders like Emily to steady the ship and return common sense, people-centered solutions back to our communities.”

A Democratic presidential candidate has not won Florida’s electoral votes since 2012, but this year, Florida has not been immune from the Democratic surge. Boca Raton, about 30 miles down the Atlantic coast from Palm Beach, elected its first Democratic mayor in 45 years earlier this month. That margin was narrow, but Miami voters in December overwhelmingly elected their first Democratic mayor in 30 years.