Democrats flip Florida state seat that includes Trump's Mar-a-Lago home

Democrat Emily Gregory, a first-time candidate, defeated Trump-backed Republican Jon Maples in a race for the open Florida District 87 state House seat.

The result is a reversal from 2024, when a Republican won the district by 19 percentage points.

Democrats have performed well in special elections during Trump's second term, and Gregory's victory could indicate momentum for the party heading into this year's congressional midterm elections.

"When I started this nine months ago, I obviously thought it was possible," Gregory told MSNBC on Tuesday night.

"I might have done some crazy calculus to decide that this was a flip opportunity, but it was," she later added. "And we did it. So my math worked."

When asked about Trump being her constituent, Gregory said she didn't really think about it.

"He's one of 115,000 registered voters in District 87," she said.

Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee celebrated the victory on X, saying voters had "sent a message".

"If Democrats can win in Trump's backyard, we sure as hell can win anywhere across the country. Onward to November!" Martin wrote.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which helps Democrats in state level races, also celebrated the victory.

Gregory's win "proves Republicans are vulnerable everywhere," DLCC President Heather Williams said in a statement. "If Mar-a-Lago and Tampa are vulnerable, imagine what's possible this November."

Trump himself backed Maples, endorsing him in a Truth Social post and urging "great patriots" to vote in the special election.

Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, who is now running for governor of Florida, filmed an endorsement with Maples urging voters to choose him.

Democrats have flipped several state House seats in special elections since Trump took office at the beginning of 2025.

The midterm elections are scheduled for November, and will feature races for the US House of Representatives, a third of the US Senate, and multiple governor and state legislature races.

These elections, typically held halfway through a president's term in office, potentially serve as a referendum on the mood of the country and the strength of the president's party.

Trump says he is talking to "the right people" in Iran, but Tehran says no such negotiations are being held.

A 2023 memo also alleges that after leaving office, Trump retained another record so sensitive that only six people in the government had access to it.

Conflict has spread across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February.

Market data shows the amount of oil trade rose before the US President said he would postpone attacks on Iran's power plants.

Some Iranians dismiss the possibility of talks to end the war, others worry a deal may leave the current leaders in place.