Florida District 87 Special Election Underway

Florida voters in State House District 87 headed to the polls Tuesday for a special election to fill a vacant seat in the coastal Palm Beach County area, which includes President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. The contest pits Democrat Emily Gregory, a first-time candidate and owner of a postpartum fitness business, against Republican Jon Maples, a financial adviser and former Lake Clarke Shores commissioner.

The district seat has been empty since August 2025, when Republican state Representative Mike Caruso resigned to serve as Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller. Caruso had won reelection in 2024 by 19 percentage points, and Trump carried the district that year by 11 points. The area, encompassing communities such as Palm Beach, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and Juno Beach, serves more than 115,000 registered voters.

Both candidates centered their campaigns on affordability issues, including rising insurance premiums, property taxes, inflation and cost-of-living pressures exacerbated by higher energy prices. Gregory, a Jupiter resident and military spouse, emphasized property insurance relief, expanding Medicaid access, addressing health care costs and opposing cuts to...