Florida’s Emily Gregory, a Democrat, defeated Republican John Maples, who was endorsed by US President Donald Trump, in a special election in Florida’s 87th statehouse district. Gregory, a public health expert and small business owner, is a first-time candidate and was not surprised by her victory. “When I started this nine months ago, I obviously thought it was possible,” Gregory told MSNBC Tuesday night. He later said, “Maybe I did some crazy calculations to decide it was an upside chance, but it was.” “And we did it. So my math worked.”With all precincts reporting, Gregory had 51% of the vote compared to 49% for Maples.President Trump voted in the race via mail-in ballot, although he is not a fan of mail-in voting. “Mar-a-Lago has gone from red to blue, making Republicans sweat the midterms,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee chairwoman Heather Williams said on social media. “A Trump +11 district in his own backyard shouldn’t happen for Democrats, but tonight proves Republicans everywhere are vulnerable.”Williams said state Democrats have flipped 29 districts since Trump’s election.Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin celebrated the victory over Ax and said voters “sent a message”.“If Democrats can win in Trump’s backyard, we’re sure they can win everywhere across the country. From November forward!” Martin wrote.“This victory reiterates an undeniable trend in Florida: With years of organizing and infrastructure investment, Democrats can run anywhere and win – including Donald Trump’s backyard. Floridians are tired of lawlessness, corruption and skyrocketing prices on everything from groceries to gas to healthcare. They’re calling on people like Emily to steady the ship and bring common-sense, people-centered solutions back into our communities. Voting for leaders we trust,” said Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried.
