Democrats flipped two Republican-held legislative seats in Florida

Florida

Democrats flipped two Republican-held legislative seats in Florida last night, delivering a stunning one-two punch in a state where they have often struggled to compete: State House District 87: Palm Beach County (which includes Mar-a-Lago, President Trump's home) Democrat Emily Gregory defeated Trump-endorsed Republican Jon Maples, 51%-49%, in a district that Trump won by 11 points in the 2024 presidential election. The previous Republican incumbent, Rep. Mike Caruso, had won the seat by 19 points just last year. Gregory, a first-time candidate, business owner, and military spouse, ran on kitchen-table issues like housing costs, insurance rates, and affordability and flipped the seat representing Trump's own home turf. Mar-a-Lago will now be represented by a Democrat in the Florida State House, joining Democratic representation in the State Senate and U.S. House for that district. Democrats have now flipped 10 GOP-held state legislative seats nationally since Trump returned to the White House. Republicans have flipped zero Democratic seats in that same period. Florida State Senate District 14 — Hillsborough County (Tampa) Democrat Brian Nathan, a Navy veteran, union organizer, and first-time candidate, defeated Republican state Rep. Josie Tomkow by just 408 votes (50.25% to 49.75%) in a Tampa-area district that the previous Republican incumbent had won by 10 points in 2022. Tomkow had a massive fundraising advantage and was considered a heavy favorite heading into Election Day.

The Trump Mail-In Voting Hypocrisy

The stories above are great, but here's the story you need to share with your friends: While publicly calling mail-in voting "mail-in cheating," public records indicate that President Trump voted by mail in Tuesday's special election in Florida. At the same time, Trump is pushing Congress to pass the SAVE America Act (formally the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), which would sharply restrict mail-in voting nationwide. Trump has demanded that the bill include an amendment ending no-excuse mail-in voting, limiting mail-in ballots only to narrow exceptions like illness, disability, military service, or travel. Talk about hypocrisy.   Currently, 36 states and Washington D.C. allow either no-excuse mail-in voting or conduct elections entirely by mail. The SAVE America Act, which passed the House 218-213 in February, is now being debated in the Senate. Trump has threatened to veto every other bill until it passes and has called on Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster to force it through. For millions of Americans, like seniors, working parents, people with disabilities, and voters in rural areas, mail-in voting is not a luxury, it's a necessity. For Trump, apparently, it's a personal convenience. A White House spokesperson argued that the bill has "commonsense exceptions" for illness, disability, military, and travel. However, critics point out that Trump himself doesn't meet that criteria as a resident of Florida.

Why it matters

The Florida results are part of a clear national pattern: voters are rejecting the Trump agenda at the ballot box. Our community can be the margin of victory to sway special elections, primaries, and in the general election in November. On the SAVE America Act: Emgage Action and allied voter registration groups are monitoring this legislation closely. If enacted, provisions requiring in-person presentation of documentary proof of citizenship would significantly impact community members who register by mail or online. The Senate has not yet passed the bill, and the fight is not over.