US Democrats flip Florida seat representing Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence
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Mar-a-Lago, US President Donald Trump’s residence, is poised to be represented by a Democrat after Republicans lost a special election in a surprise upset.
PHOTO: JOSH RITCHIE/NYTIMES
ORLANDO - A Democrat is poised to represent US President Donald Trump and his Mar-a-Lago residence in the Florida state House of Representatives after Republicans lost a special election in a surprise upset.
The Democratic candidate, Ms Emily Gregory, was projected to defeat her Republican opponent, Mr Jon Maples, in a special election on March 24, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Republicans hold a wide majority in the Florida statehouse, so the upset will have little effect on state politics. But it represents a symbolic win for Democrats and warning sign for Republicans ahead of the November congressional midterms where the Republican Party is battling to retain their majorities in the US House and Senate.
Mr Trump easily won Florida’s 87th legislative district in 2024. It includes Palm Beach, which Mr Trump declared as his primary residence during his first term, switching from Manhattan’s Trump Tower to his Mar-a-Lago resort.
The loss is also personal for Mr Trump, who backed Mr Maples on March 23, posting on social media that he gave the Republican candidate “MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!”
The defeat may also complicate the Republican Party’s plans to redraw US House maps in Florida in a way that could net Republicans more seats. That is because spreading Republican voters more thinly across more districts may reduce their average partisan lean – making them easier for Democrats to pick up if they have a particularly good year. Political scientists call that rare scenario a “dummymander” – because it is when an attempt to gerrymander seats bites the drawers of the map harder than their opposition.
Ms Gregory, according to her campaign website, runs a fitness centre for recent mothers and pregnant women. Like many successful Democratic candidates in Mr Trump’s second term, she emphasised the cost of living and pledged “to fight for a healthier, more affordable Florida where families can thrive”.
Ms Gregory’s win adds to a series of Democratic victories or over-performances in off-cycle and special elections in recent months. As polls show that voters have soured on Mr Trump’s handling of the economy, Democrats sense opportunity in national, as well as state and local, races.
The unpopularity of the Iran war, begun by the US and Israel on Feb 28, has only intensified Democratic optimism and Republican anxieties. BLOOMBERG
