A Democrat scores a spectacular victory in Trump's home state of Florida. “If Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, what will happen in November?”
Tuesday's Democratic victory in Florida's by-elections signals the Trump administration's unpopularity ahead of November's legislative elections, writes Reuters.
Democrat Emily Gregory won a by-election for the Florida state legislature on Tuesday, taking control of a district that includes Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's Palm Beach residence.
Trump had endorsed Gregory's rival, Jon Maples, and on Monday urged voters to go to the polls. The president, who has described voting by mail as “fraud,” even voted by mail for this election, Reuters and the Associated Press write.
Democrats celebrated the victory, seen by many as the latest sign that voters are turning against Trump and Republicans ahead of November's midterm elections.
“If Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, imagine what can happen in November”
The district was previously represented by Mike Caruso, a Republican who resigned to become clerk in Palm Beach. Caruso had won the district by a substantial margin of 19 percentage points in 2024.
With nearly all votes counted after Tuesday's poll, Gregory was leading by 2.4 percentage points, or 797 votes.
“If Mar-a-Lago is vulnerable, imagine what can happen in November,” said Heather Williams, chairwoman of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
“Gas prices are up, food costs are up, and families can't make ends meet — it's clear that voters are fed up with Republicans,” Williams said.
The winning candidate admits she is shocked by her own success
Gregory owns a fitness company that works with pregnant and postpartum women and has never run for elected office before.
Speaking to MSNOW after her win, she admitted she was “pretty shocked”.
Democrats scored some notable wins in Republican-held Florida. In December, Eileen Higgins won Miami's mayoral race, the first Democratic victory at that level in three decades.
She defeated a Trump-backed Republican in a campaign that focused heavily on criticizing the president's crackdown on immigration, a message that resonated with the city's Hispanic population.
In Texas, Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a state Senate district considered a Republican stronghold in a January by-election.
But the victory in Trump's district has Democrats especially excited.
“Donald Trump's neighbors just sent a very clear message: They are angry and ready for change,” said Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
