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By Mandy Taheri
Reporter
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Since President Donald Trump returned to office, Democrats have flipped over two dozen seats in special and state legislative elections nationwide, a string of wins that has boosted the party’s outlook ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Why It Matters
Democrats and Republicans increasingly view control of state governments as critical to advancing their agendas amid congressional gridlock, especially as court rulings have shifted major policy fights to the states, including abortion, voting rights and electoral maps.
Read More on Politics
Democrats have overperformed in special and state elections over the past year. Historically, the president’s party tends to lose seats in midterm election, however, Democrats face a difficult map to take back control of the Senate, needing to hold all of their seats and flip four Republican seats. Republicans hold slim majorities in both chambers of Congress and are seeking to maintain that control in the midterms.
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Seats Democrats Have Flipped During Trump’s Second Term
In 2026, Democrats have flipped five state seats, with the two most recent secured Tuesday night in the Republican stronghold of Florida. Democrat Emily Gregory, a small-business owner and first-time candidate won the election to represent Florida’s 87th House District, a seat that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar‑a‑Lago resort in Palm Beach County. In another Tuesday special election in the state, Democrat Brian Nathan, a Navy veteran and union leader, defeated Republican former state Representative Josie Tomkow in a closely contested race to succeed Jay Collins in Florida's 14th Senate District.
- New Hampshire House — Carroll County District 7—Bobbi Boudman (D)
- Texas Senate — District 9—Taylor Rehmet (D)
- Arkansas House — District 70—Alex Holladay (D)
- Florida House — District 87—Emily Gregory (D)
- Florida Senate — District 14—Brian Nathan (D)
In 2025, Democrats flipped several special election seats
- Georgia House — District 121—Eric Gisler (D)
- Iowa Senate — District 1—Catelin Drey (D)
- Iowa Senate — District 35—Mike Zimmer (D)
- Pennsylvania Senate — District 36—James Malone (D)
- Mississippi Senate — District 2—Theresa Gillespie Isom (D)
- Mississippi Senate — District 45—Johnny DuPree (D)
- Mississippi House — District 22—Justin Crosby (D)
Democrats also made significant inroads in the Virginia House of Delegates, flipping 13 seats.
- District 23—Candi King (D)
- District 30—John McAuliff (D)
- District 41—Lily Franklin (D)
- District 57—May Nivar (D)
- District 64—Stacey Carroll (D)
- District 66—Nicole Cole (D)
- District 69—Mark Downey (D)
- District 71—Jessica Anderson (D)
- District 73—Leslie Mehta (D)
- District 75—Lindsey Dougherty (D)
- District 82—Kimberly Pope Adams (D)
- District 86—Virgil Thornton Sr. (D)
- District 89—Kacey Carnegie (D)
Party members also made five flips in the New Jersey General Assembly
- District 2—Maureen Rowan (D)
- District 8—Anthony Angelozzi (D)
- District 21—Andrew Macurdy (D)
- District 21—Vincent Kearney (D)
- District 25—Marisa Sweeney (D)
What People Are Saying
Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said in a statement to Newsweek: "Mar-a-Lago and Tampa just flipped red to blue, which should have Republicans sweating the midterms. A Trump +11 district in his own backyard shouldn’t be in play for Democrats, but tonight proves Republicans are vulnerable everywhere. State Democrats have now flipped a staggering 30 districts red to blue since Trump’s election. Gas prices are spiking, grocery costs are up, and families can’t get by—it’s clear voters at the polls are fed up with Republicans.
Emily Gregory said on MS NOW after her victory: "Right when I started this nine months ago, I obviously thought it was possible. I think most people thought I was insane looking at the numbers…I'm still like, pretty shocked. We did it, we just did it."
President Donald Trump urged supporters to vote for Jon Maples for Florida State House District 87 in a Truth Social post on Monday, writing in part: "There is a very important Special Election tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th, for Florida State House District 87 in beautiful Palm Beach County—JON MAPLES HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!"
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement after Nathan's win: "This victory reiterates an undeniable trend in Florida: with year round organizing and infrastructure investment, Democrats can run and win anywhere. Flipping this seat proves that Floridians are tired of the chaos, corruption, and sky high prices on everything from groceries, to gas, and healthcare. They want solutions and are demanding change after 30 years of single party rule in the State. Voters are ready for trusted leaders like Brian to steady the ship and return common sense, people-centered solutions back to our communities."
Republican National Committee (RNC) national press secretary Kiersten Pels told Newsweek for a previous story: "Ken Martin is desperately trying to spin state legislative specials as some kind of national ‘wave,’ even though these races have never been predictive of general elections. The reality is that Democrats are consumed by infighting, factional warfare, and competing agendas that are tearing their party apart. Meanwhile, Republicans remain united behind President Trump and his America First policies that are lowering costs, strengthening our economy, and delivering real results for American families."
What Happens Next
Candidates are preparing for primaries, which vary by state, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections on November 3.
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