Featured Image Credit: Al Drago/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, News, Politics
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, News, Politics
Donald Trump could soon be living in a district of Florida run by Democrats.
Following a monumental victory from left-leaning politician and first-time candidate Emily Gregory, who beat Republican frontrunner Jon Maples in the race for the open Florida District 87 state House seat, onlookers have predicted further updates for the President.
Trump, 79, owns a lavish estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, which sits comfortably within the 'Sunshine State's' 87th District.
Maples had been personally backed by Trump when it came to taking control of the region, who endorsed him in Truth Social, urging 'great patriots' to tick his box in the polls.
Advert
The self-professed 'conservative outsider' also received public support from Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, who filmed an endorsement video hailing Maples' alleged achievements.
His loss and Gregory's almost win mark a landmark reversal from the 2024 results, when a MAGA candidate sealed the win by 19 percentage points.
A Florida woman through and through, Gregory grew up just north of Palm Beach in Stuart.
Outside of politics, the 32-year-old owns a fitness company focusing on the health and well-being of both pregnant and postpartum women, holding a degree in Health and Exercise Science and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management.
Gregory married to an Lieutenant Colonel currently serving in the US Army, named Andrew, with whom she shares three children.
Her decision to run for office had been spurred largely by affordability.
Throughout her campaign, Gregory promised voters to keep property and healthcare prices low, as well as insurance premiums and everyday necessities.
Addressing her almighty achievement, she seemed to reference the increasingly far-right stance many Americans have taken since Trump was sworn into the White House for the s
econd time last January.
"When I started this nine months ago, I obviously thought it was possible," she claimed, in conversation with MSNBC on Tuesday (24 Mar). "I might have done some crazy calculus to decide that this was a flip opportunity, but it was.
"And we did it. So my math worked."
Of the moment she learned of the victory, Gregory admitted she was 'pretty shocked' comparing the moment to an 'out-of-body experience'.
Gregory's victory marks the Democrats' latest impressive performance of late, following gubernatorial and mayoral elections last year. Several state House seats have also been flipped by left-wing party leaders since Trump returned to office.
Eileen Higgins became Miami mayor back in December after defeating another Trump-backed politician, marking the first time in three decades that the city would be run by a Democrat.
In Texas, Taylor Rehmet flipped a state Senate district seat back in January that had long been filled by a Republican candidate.
Their rolling successes have been interpreted by many liberal voters as an indication of the party’s momentum, which they see as vital ahead of the November midterms.
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin celebrated Gregory's win on social media.
"If Democrats can win in Trump's backyard, we sure as hell can win anywhere across the country," he wrote on X. "Onward to November!"
Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign, also heaped praise onto Gregory, adding: "If Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, imagine what’s possible this November."
Referencing the surge in costs of living that has occurred since Trump launched an attack on Iran last month, which has heaped further inflationary pressure onto thousands of Americans, Williams added: "Gas prices are spiking, grocery costs are up, and families can’t get by.
"It's clear voters at the polls are fed up with Republicans."