The extended vacancy became a defining issue in the race itself. Nearly two months passed before Gov.\u00a0Ron DeSantis\u00a0called the election in\u00a0late October<\/a>, a delay that\u00a0prompted Gregory to sue<\/a>, arguing voters were being denied representation.<\/p>\n While the lawsuit became moot once DeSantis scheduled the contest, the lag meant residents had no voice in Tallahassee during the 2026 Legislative Session.<\/p>\n The race in days leading up to the Special Election garnered national attention, thanks to a perception it was the most likely red-to-blue flip among three legislative Special Elections in Florida on Tuesday. It also drew press when Trump cast his ballot through the mail<\/a>.<\/p>\n HD 87<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 which runs up the coast through Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Juno Beach and Hypoluxo \u2014 has trended reliably Republican in recent cycles. Caruso\u00a0won re-election by 19 percentage points<\/a>\u00a0in 2024, when President\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0carried the district by roughly 9 points.<\/p>\n Democrats nationally celebrated the victory in the President\u2019s back yard.<\/p>\n \u201cDonald Trump\u2019s own neighbors just sent a crystal clear message: They are furious and ready for change,\u201d Democratic National Committee Chair\u00a0Ken Martin said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile Trump is partying with his billionaire donors and building gilded ballrooms, Americans are being left behind and raising hell with their votes. Rep.-Elect Emily Gregory ran an incredible campaign focused on Florida families\u2019 top concerns, from the skyrocketing cost of groceries and gas to the health care crisis Donald Trump has unleashed across Florida. If Democrats can win in Trump\u2019s own backyard, we can win anywhere. From now until November, Democrats are all gas and no brakes as we compete across every corner of Florida and the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMar-a-Lago just flipped red to blue, which should have Republicans sweating the midterms. A Trump +11 district in his own backyard shouldn\u2019t be in play for Democrats, but tonight proves Republicans are vulnerable everywhere. State Democrats have now flipped a staggering 29 districts red to blue since Trump\u2019s election. Gas prices are spiking, grocery costs are up, and families can\u2019t get by \u2013 it\u2019s clear voters at the polls are fed up with Republicans,\u201d said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, imagine what\u2019s possible this November. Democrats are clearly on offense as we prepare for the most expansive midterm strategy ever down-ballot, with 650 seats in play. 2026 is shaping up to be an election for the history books.\u201d<\/p>\n And House Democratic Leader-Designate Christine Hunschofsky\u00a0cheered growing party ranks in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n \u201cEmily proved that Floridians are ready for change and ready for leaders who will focus on delivering real results that help bring down everyday costs for working families,\u201d she said, \u201cWe could not be more excited to welcome Representative Gregory to the House Democratic Caucus, where her voice will be critical as we head into upcoming Special Sessions on redistricting and passing the state budget.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Gregory and Maples advanced to the General Election after\u00a0overwhelming Primary wins<\/a>\u00a0in January, each securing more than 80% of the vote in their respective contests.<\/p>\n Gregory, a 40-year-old South Florida native and first-time candidate, framed her campaign around affordability and local quality-of-life concerns.<\/p>\n She grew up in nearby Stuart and today owns and operates a small Jupiter-based fitness center for pregnant and postpartum women. She is also an Army spouse.<\/p>\n Her platform<\/a>\u00a0centered on increasing public education funding, expanding access to health care and addressing rising property insurance and housing costs.<\/p>\n During her campaign, she drew a sharp distinction with Republicans on tax policy, opposing efforts to eliminate property taxes, which she argued would shift the burden onto renters through higher sales taxes and local fees.<\/p>\n At the same time, Gregory\u00a0signaled openness<\/a>\u00a0to more targeted relief, such as exemptions for first-time homebuyers.<\/p>\n Gregory criticized the GOP-led Legislature\u2019s focus on curbing diversity, equity and inclusion programs, arguing that such efforts eschew more pressing economic challenges facing residents.<\/p>\n Her campaign\u00a0reported raising<\/a>\u00a0about $176,000 directly, supplemented by roughly $82,000 in in-kind support. She has said her total fundraising reached $325,000 with additional help from a political committee.<\/p>\n Her endorsements include U.S. Rep.\u00a0Lois Frankel, Florida Senate Democratic Leader\u00a0Lori Berman\u00a0and several local officials, as well as backing from a passel of labor groups and progressive organizations. She also received a boost from a recent\u00a0virtual fundraiser<\/a>\u00a0hosted by\u00a0Alex Vindman, the whistleblower behind Trump\u2019s first impeachment now\u00a0running to supplant<\/a>\u00a0Republican U.S. Sen.\u00a0Ashley Moody, and congressional candidate\u00a0Pia Dandiya, who is running to unseat Republican U.S. Rep.\u00a0Brian Mast.<\/p>\n The win grows a Democratic caucus in the House, a welcome development to House Minority Leader\u00a0Fentrice Driskell\u00a0even late in the legislative term.<\/p>\n \u201cI could not be more excited to welcome Representative Emily Gregory to the House Democratic Caucus!\u201d Driskell said. \u201cFloridians have made it clear they want real action on the affordability crisis and while Republicans have ignored them. Emily ran a campaign focused on pragmatic solutions to lower costs, raise wages, and build a more affordable state for all working families and seniors that resonated with the people of Palm Beach County. We look forward to her joining us in Tallahassee as we continue to fight for our affordability agenda to provide Floridians with the relief their hard work has earned.\u201d<\/p>\n Vindman congratulated Gregory, calling her Tuesday victory \u201cwell earned.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFloridians are sick and tired of the chaos, corruption, and high cost of living,\u201d he said. \u201cThis victory proves that Floridians are ready to turn the page after years of skyrocketing home insurance prices, grocery bills, and corrupt favors for wealthy special interests. South Florida is lucky to have a strong voice headed to Tallahassee to represent them.\u201d<\/p>\n Miami Gardens Sen.\u00a0Shevrin Jones, who is set to lead Democrats in the upper chamber in 2028, congratulated both Gregory and Senator-elect\u00a0Brian Nathan\u00a0of Hillsborough County for flipping<\/a> their respective districts.<\/p>\n \u201cThese victories in Trump-won districts are a testament to the importance of running strong candidates everywhere,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI look forward to welcoming them to the legislature as we work together to lower costs, improve healthcare access, tackle the housing crisis, and improve the lives of everyday Floridians.\u201d<\/p>\n Maples, a 43-year-old financial planner and former Lake Clarke Shores Council member who was an All-American athlete at Palm Beach Atlantic University, ran a campaign closely aligned with Republican priorities at both the state and national levels.<\/p>\n House Speaker-Designate Sam Garrison congratulated Maples on a hard-fought campaign, pledging a comeback campaign in the next General Election.<\/p>\n \u201cJon Maples ran an extremely strong campaign but ultimately came up short. Jon fought valiantly in the face of low Republican turnout due to awkward Special Election timing, and despicable, dark-money racial attacks from Democrat criminal defense lawyers pretending to be Republicans. I am proud to have Jon as our conservative standard bearer in Palm Beach. Today\u2019s loss stings, but it does not deter him or us. We will learn from today\u2019s results and see you in November.\u201d<\/p>\n He leaned on his local government experience and community involvement, including leadership roles with\u00a0Families First of Palm Beach County<\/a>\u00a0and other civic organizations.<\/p>\n His platform<\/a>\u00a0focused on cutting taxes and government spending, reducing regulatory burdens, expanding private-sector job growth and advancing school choice policies.<\/p>\n He also embraced a broader GOP push to eliminate or significantly reduce\u00a0property taxes<\/a>\u00a0and sought to draw contrasts with Gregory on education policy, particularly around teachers\u2019 unions.<\/p>\n Maples headed to Election Day with a sizable financial and institutional edge. Through mid-February, he raised $290,000 in outside contributions, which he added to $14,000 in self-loans through his\u00a0campaign account<\/a>\u00a0and political committee,\u00a0Friends of Jon Maples<\/a>.<\/p>\n His haul grew further to $440,000, he told\u00a0POLITICO<\/a>, which reported that Maples\u2019 spending on digital and TV ads had nearly topped $100,000 in the election\u2019s home stretch.<\/p>\n Maples\u2019 campaign also benefited from significant outside support, including roughly $184,000 in in-kind assistance from the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee (FHRCC<\/a>).<\/p>\n His endorsement list reflects that backing. Trump, Attorney General\u00a0James Uthmeier<\/a>\u00a0and a slew of\u00a0GOP state lawmakers<\/a>\u00a0that includes Florida Speaker-designate\u00a0Sam Garrison\u00a0and state Reps.\u00a0Anne Gerwig,\u00a0Jon Snyder\u00a0and \u201cMAGA<\/a>\u201d\u00a0Meg Weinberger\u00a0are backing Maples, as are Lake Worth Beach Commissioner\u00a0Mimi May\u00a0and former state Rep.\u00a0MaryLynn Magar.<\/p>\n Questions arose in recent weeks regarding his residency, with\u00a0reporting this month<\/a>\u00a0noting his listed home sat outside HD 87 and that he\u2019d registered to vote at an in-district apartment in January.<\/p>\n He has since said he and his family bought and moved into<\/a>\u00a0a new home in Jupiter within the district\u2019s bounds.<\/p>\n Under\u00a0Florida law<\/a>, candidates must only live in the district they seek to represent by the time they are sworn in \u2014 which, in this case, is expected between April 1 and April 4.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Luis-Viera-Ads-728x90-px.jpg\")
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<\/a>Jon Maples enjoyed ample support from his party and a nod from the county\u2019s most well-known politician, President Donald Trump. Image via Jon Maples campaign.<\/p>\n