FL Dems Flip 2 Seats, Including Mar-A-Lago’s District, In Special Election

In an upset, Florida Democrats flipped two previously red seats in Tuesday’s special legislative elections, including a win in the district that is home to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Two other state legislative seats that were up for grabs in the special election remain in Republican control.

Democrat Emily Gregory had a lead of 2.4 percentage points, or 797 votes, over her opponent, Republican Jon Maples, in the District 87 House race, as of Wednesday morning.

The district includes parts of Hypoluxo, Lantana, Manalapan, South Palm Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach Shores, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter and Juno Beach, according to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections website.

The president endorsed Maples ahead of the election, urging voters to turn out and touting the candidate as being backed “by so many of my Palm Beach County friends.”

The district was previously represented by Mike Caruso, a Republican who resigned to become Palm Beach County’s clerk. Caruso won by 19 percentage points in 2024.

In the District 14 state senate race, Democrat Brian Nathan upset Republican incumbent Josie Tomkow.

Unofficial results showed Nathan with a lead of half a percentage point as of Wednesday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. He took home about 50.25 percent of the vote, or 40,212 votes compared to Tomkow's 49.75 percent or 39,804 votes, results show.

The district includes parts of Hillsborough County.

The seat was left vacant by Sen. Jay Collins, who was named lieutenant governor by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“I am thrilled to congratulate Senator-Elect Brian Nathan on this shocking victory,” Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, told Florida Phoenix. “Brian is the kind of person we need in the legislature. His history of service as a Navy Veteran and union leader ensures that the needs of everyday people will be at the heart of every vote he takes in Tallahassee.”

While Tomkow conceded defeat at her election night party in Ybor City, she told attendees that she plans to run for the seat again in November during the regular election, saying, “welcome to my General Election campaign announcement,” Florida Politics reported.

In the District 51 House race representing much of Polk County, Republican Hillary Holley dominated Democratic opponent Edwin Pérez with nearly 55 percent of the vote, Florida Politics said. Holley replaces Tomkow, who termed out and set her sights on the state senate.

Republican Samantha Scott ran unopposed in the District 52 House race after her opponent, Pamala Harrison-Bivins, withdrew. The district primarily covers most of Citrus County.

Democrats celebrated the District 14 and 87 victories as the latest sign voters are turning against Trump and Republicans ahead of the midterm elections in November. Tuesday was the latest in a series of lopsided or improbable victories in special elections across the country since Trump returned to the White House more than a year ago.

“If Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, imagine what’s possible this November,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

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

Democrats have notched some notable wins in Republican-controlled Florida. In December, Eileen Higgins won the race for Miami mayor, the first time a Democrat had led the city in nearly three decades. She defeated a Trump-endorsed Republican in a campaign that leaned heavily into criticism of the president’s immigration crackdown, a message that resonated with the city’s large Hispanic population.

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.