A historic seat… Democrats defeat Trump in his stronghold

25th March 2026

2 minutes read

A historic seat… Democrats defeat Trump in his stronghold

Democrats have secured a new victory in state legislative elections that had long been dominated by Republicans, but with a different significance this time.

They won two seats in Florida, considered a Republican stronghold, including one in the district that contains President Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.

Citing the American magazine Politico, Democrat Emily Gregory defeated the Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives, who had Trump’s backing, in a tightly contested race marked by significant financial investment and strong support from Democrats.

Gregory, a first-time candidate with experience in public health and mental health management, narrowly defeated John Maples, a financial planner who previously held a seat on the local council, by just over two percentage points.

She achieved this victory despite Trump using his social media accounts to urge voters to support Maples.

At the same time, Democrats secured a hard-fought victory for a seat in the Tampa Senate, which had been held by Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins until last August.

These victories will not change the Republican majority’s control of the Florida state legislature.

Nevertheless, Democrats at both the state and national levels celebrated the wins, which come after years of Republican dominance in Florida.

Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, said: “This victory confirms an undeniable trend in the state… with year-round organizing and investment in infrastructure, Democrats can compete and win anywhere, including in Trump’s stronghold.”

State election records show that Trump, along with First Lady Melania and their son Barron, voted by mail in the election for the 87th House district.

Trump requested his mail-in ballot on March 14, just days after insisting that the “Save America” law include restrictions on mail-in voting.

These results add to a series of Democratic victories in state legislative elections that had previously been dominated by Republicans over the past 14 months.