Democrat Wins Florida House Seat, Narrowly

0:00On March 25th, a Democrat pulled off a narrow win in a special election for a Florida House seat that covers President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Emily Gregory, a 40-year-old business owner and military spouse, beat Republican John Maples with 51.2% of the vote to his, 48.8%. That's a margin of about 800 votes after more than 95% of ballots were tallied. The seat opened up when the previous Republican holder got appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to a county clerk position back in August. Maples, a former City Council member, had Trump's endorsement and Republicans invested heavily to keep the coastal district from Palm Beach Gardens to Jupiter. Gregory focused her campaign on local issues like the affordability crisis and high gas prices around $4 a gallon. She told reporters Trump wasn't part of her race and pledged to serve all roughly 180,000 residents equally if elected. Meanwhile, two other Florida special elections happened the same night.

1:03Democrat Brian Nathan Edgedow, Republican Josie Tomkow, in State Senate District 14, near Tampa, 50.2% to 49.8% by about 400 votes. But Republicans held on in House District 51, where Hillary Holley topped Democrat Edwin Perez, 54.2% to 45.8%. Democrats now control both the State House and Senate seats in that area, plus the nearby U.S. House District, though Republicans still dominate the legislature with super majorities. This sets the stage for more competitive races ahead in the Sunshine State.