Fresh off her surprise victory in the Florida state House district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, Democrat Emily Gregory joined MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday to discuss the ways she was able to flip the Republican-held seat and what advice she has for members of her party ahead of the midterms.
Gregory credited her victory over Trump-backed Jon Maples in Florida’s 87th District to a simple strategy: “talking to people.”
“I feel very embedded in this community,” she told MS NOW. “It’s a big reason why I decided to run. I feel like the conversations I had with my neighbors weren’t being reflected in Tallahassee at all and that our leaders weren’t listening.”
The small-business owner said she believes her new job “starts with listening and then showing up and doing the work.”
Despite running in Trump’s home district, Gregory made a conscious choice not to mention the president often during her campaign, an effort she said was done to “block out the noise” and focus on the real issues affecting voters.
“It’s about talking about the things, and focusing on the things, that will make your life better, your neighbors’ lives, your whole community. … And those things are property insurance, health care and education,” she said.
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Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW. She was previously a segment producer for “AYMAN” and “The Mehdi Hasan Show.”
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