Voters in coastal Palm Beach County moved one step closer to again having Tallahassee representation Tuesday, when they cast ballots in Primary races for House District 87.

With Election Day votes still pending and a high tally of early and mail-in ballots, Emily Gregory took 88% of the vote to defeat Laura Levites in the Democratic Primary.

In the Republican Primary, meanwhile, Jon Maples won with 80% of the vote over Gretchen Miller Feng.

Those numbers are likely to shift as additional ballots get counted. This report will be updated.

Gregory and Maples will now advance to a Special General Election on March 24.

HD 87 runs up the coast of Palm Beach County, spanning Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Juno Beach and Hypoluxo. It’s been without representation since August, when Republican Rep. Mike Caruso resigned for an appointed job as the Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller.

The prolonged vacancy — and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ delay in calling a Special Election — became a central issue in the race itself; it left HD 87 voteless during the regular 2026 Legislative Session and even prompted one candidate to try to force the Governor’s hand through the courts.

That candidate was Gregory, a Jupiter-based small-business owner and public health professional who established herself as the most visible Democrat in the race since the vacancy occurred.

She drew attention to her campaign in October, when she filed a lawsuit to compel DeSantis to call a Special Election, arguing that HD 87 voters were being denied representation as lawmakers prepared to convene in Tallahassee.

The lawsuit was ultimately rendered moot by the Governor’s executive order setting election dates.

On the campaign trail, Gregory focused on public education funding, health care access and property insurance costs. She entered the final stretch of the Primary with a clear fundraising advantage on the Democratic side, having raised more than $101,000 through Jan. 8 and spending nearly $49,000, both outpacing her opponent.

Levites, a Lake Worth Beach resident and first-time candidate, pitched herself as a community advocate and political outsider.

Her campaign focused heavily on the cost-of-living pressures, including property insurance premiums and housing affordability. She also leaned into environmental issues and local infrastructure concerns, including flooding and traffic congestion.

But she struggled in fundraising, adding no outside contributions and loaning her campaign just $450.

The Republican Primary arguably drew more eyes, due to Maples’ public service record and support he gained from high-profile Republicans.

A financial planner and Lake Clarke Shores Council member of two years when he entered the race last year, Maples — who vacated his Town Council seat to run for HD 87 — quickly consolidated support from GOP leadership.

He secured backing from the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee, a slate of GOP lawmakers and later landed an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

Maples ran as a reliable conservative aligned with Trump-era priorities, emphasizing fiscal restraint, opposition to tax increases and a pro-business climate.

He also built the largest war chest in the Republican field, stacking more than $278,000 between his campaign account and political committee, Friends of Jon Maples, plus another $14,000 in candidate loans.

He spent nearly $157,000 as of Jan. 8.

Feng, a paralegal and regulatory consultant from West Palm Beach, cast herself as an outsider running against party insiders.

She focused her campaign on affordability, opposition to unchecked growth and outrage over the district being unrepresented during the 2026 Session.

But she ran at a marked funding disadvantage, raising just over $12,000 and spending $11,000.

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Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics contributed to this report.

Striding across the stage for the State of the State address, Gov. Ron DeSantis shook hands with Senate President Ben Albritton — but skipped acknowledging House Speaker Daniel Perez, a man who has been unafraid to criticize DeSantis.

Perez called the handshake snub “petulant.” Albritton insisted he was too focused in the moment and didn’t know what happened.

That’s a preview of the balancing act leaders are facing as the Opening Day of the 2026 Legislative Session kicked off Tuesday. Albritton tried his best to maintain an optimistic outlook as he answered questions from reporters who were quick to bring up reported bad blood between DeSantis and Perez and the two chambers of the Legislature. 

“I’m going to remain positive. I’m going to do everything in my power to work with the Governor and the Speaker to build wins for Floridians. I’ll leave it at that,” Albritton said.

He read Bible quotes, if anyone needed some inspiration on how to be good.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God,” Albritton said.

Albritton called Perez a friend and said disagreements are a reality in Tallahassee. 

“The House operates very different from the way the Senate operates. The rip that you’re talking about, look, these things happen. It’s a natural part of the process,” Albritton told reporters. “So I’m not going to talk bad about this Speaker, not in a million years.”

Turning to some of the controversial issues that could be taken up by the Legislature, Albritton was asked if the Senate was going to support one bill rapidly moving through the House to lower the gun-buying age from 21 years old to 18, stripping away a protection put in place by a bipartisan vote after the Parkland school shooting.

A similar bill died in the Senate in the 2025 Legislative Session.

“This last year, they were not supportive of it. I have not heard anything different this year,” Albritton said, although he added, “It will be determined by the Chairs and the Senate and the Senate appetite for such a bill as a whole.”

“When you look around Florida and you’re listening, affordability is what’s on people’s minds. And we have great gun laws here in the state of Florida,” Albritton said.

When it comes to the push to lower property taxes, the Senate Finance and Tax Committee will explore options during the upcoming Regular Session, Albritton explained.

“Let me also be very clear,” the Senate President said, “we are absolutely committed to putting something on the ballot that can help Florida homeowners. Period. End of story.”

What about the fact that DeSantis vetoed $1 million for a study to understand the effect of eliminating the property tax in Florida?

“That’s a great question,” Albritton told one reporter. “We’re doing studies of our own. So I don’t see where that diminishes the prospect of property tax reform in the state. It’s a good question though.”