Emily Watson Gregory
Incumbent (won 2026 special election to fill the seat vacated by Michael Caruso's appointment as PBC Clerk; sworn in 3/24/2026)
Last updated: 2026-09-15 — Category 6 revised using a Sun-Sentinel candidate questionnaire (operator-supplied); total 122/165 → 120/165, 3.7★ → 3.6★. See CATEGORY 6 FLAGS & NOTES.
Integrity & Legal Record 24 / 25
Criminal History
No criminal charges, arrests, or convictions found. A PBC Clerk of Courts search for "Gregory, Emily" returned 3 records; only one — a 2021 traffic infraction (disposed) — carries her confirmed middle name "Watson." The other two ("Emily Catherine Gregory," a 2012 traffic infraction, and "Emily May Gregory," a 1983 probate matter) carry different middle names and are unrelated individuals, ruled out per this project's name-collision verification practice.
- PBC Clerk of Courts eCaseView — exact name search "Gregory, Emily" — 2026-07-22 — 3 results, only one (traffic infraction) matching confirmed middle name
- Nationwide Google/news search: "Emily Gregory" Florida House arrested OR convicted OR indicted — 2026-07-22 — no adverse matches
Civil Court History
No adverse civil litigation found under her confirmed identity. Separately, in October 2025, Gregory (together with the ACLU) sued Governor Ron DeSantis, alleging he violated Florida law by failing to timely call the special election for this seat after Caruso's resignation. This is not adverse — she was the plaintiff seeking to compel an election, not a defendant.
- PBC Clerk of Courts eCaseView — same search as above — 2026-07-22
- News coverage of the Gregory/ACLU suit against Gov. DeSantis re: special election timing — 2026-07-22
Ethics Violations
No formal ethics complaint was found naming Gregory personally. However, during the 2026 special election, a political text message attacking her opponent Jon Maples — reported by multiple outlets as containing racially charged imagery and misleading claims about his voting record and residency — was paid for by a political committee called "Lift-Off Florida." News reporting noted this committee had also paid Blue Velocity Consulting, the same vendor used by Gregory's own campaign, raising public questions about possible coordination between her campaign and the committee (which, if it occurred, could implicate Florida's independent-expenditure coordination rules). Multiple news outlets called on Gregory/Democrats to condemn the text. No formal complaint, investigation, or adjudicated finding of coordination was located as of this research date.
- Florida Politics — "Group tied to Emily Gregory sends race-baiting text; Dems should condemn it" — 2026-07-22
- Additional news search: "Lift-Off Florida" Emily Gregory coordination complaint — 2026-07-22 — no formal complaint found
- Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics — https://palmbeachcountyethics.com/complaints.htm — 2026-07-22
Campaign Finance Violations
No Florida Elections Commission violation records or formal complaints were found specifically against Gregory's campaign committee. See the Ethics Violations section above for the related, unresolved vendor/coordination question involving an independent committee.
- Florida Elections Commission — https://www.fec.state.fl.us/FECWebFi.nsf/pages/Violations — 2026-07-22 (no name-search capability from landing page)
- CBS12 — "Cash surge: More than $1M spent in House District 87 race" — 2026-07-22
Residency Confirmed
A PBC Property Appraiser (PAPA) owner-name search confirmed an exact match ("GREGORY EMILY W"), a homesteaded property at 244 Newhaven Blvd, Jupiter, FL 33458, consistent with news reporting that she resides in Jupiter, within HD-87.
- Multiple news sources describing her as a Jupiter resident — 2026-07-22
- PBC Property Appraiser (PAPA) Advanced Search — https://pbcpao.gov/AdvSearch/AdvanceSearch — owner "Gregory Emily W" — 2026-07-22 — exact match found, homesteaded
- ⚠️ PRIORITY REVIEW FLAG: A political text attacking her 2026 special-election opponent — reported by multiple outlets as containing racially charged imagery and misleading claims — was funded by a committee ("Lift-Off Florida") that shared a campaign vendor with Gregory's own campaign, raising unresolved public questions about coordination. No formal complaint or finding has been confirmed. Given the sensitivity of racial content in campaign materials, recommend the operator personally review this section and its sourcing before scorecard publication, consistent with how other sensitive findings (e.g., the Tinker DV litigation, the Caruso 2009 DV petition) were flagged earlier in this project. This finding is presented per this project's nonpartisan-scrutiny mandate, applied to this candidate exactly as it would be to a candidate of any other party.
- Investigated and ruled out two same-named individuals ("Emily Catherine Gregory," "Emily May Gregory") in PBC Clerk of Courts records as unrelated to this candidate.
- [UPDATED 2026-09-15] A Sun-Sentinel candidate questionnaire (published 2025-12-24) directly confirms both existing findings: Gregory answered "No" to "Have you been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime..." and "No" to "Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action..." — consistent with the independently-confirmed clean record above.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — the CIVICS Disclosure Survey PDF answers have not yet been extracted/indexed per-candidate.
Professional & Business Transparency 22 / 25
Business Ownership
Gregory has spent the last seven years as a small business owner leading FIT4MOM Palm Beach, a Jupiter-based fitness franchise location for pregnant and postpartum women, consistent with her public-health background (MPH, Columbia University). `[Sunbiz primary-source confirmation NOT COMPLETED — search.sunbiz.org unresponsive this session]`.
- Boca Raton Tribune; campaign biographical materials — 2026-08-21
Financial Conflicts of Interest
No government-contract overlap identified. A small fitness-franchise business has no apparent nexus to state legislative authority.
- Nationwide Google/news search: "Emily Gregory" government contract — 2026-08-21 — no matches
Bankruptcy History
`[NOT FOUND]`. No personal or business bankruptcy filings located.
- CourtListener (courtlistener.com) — search "Emily Gregory" "Watson" — 2026-08-21 — 0 results
Tax Liens
`[NOT FOUND]`. No federal or state tax lien records located. Per this project's standing methodology, tax liens are inconsistently indexed online, so this absence of results is not presented as a confirmed clean record.
- CourtListener (courtlistener.com) — search "Emily Gregory" "Watson" — 2026-08-21 — 0 results (same search covers both given the total absence of results)
Board Memberships
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Emily Watson Gregory" board member/director nonprofit — 2026-08-21]`. No corporate or nonprofit board membership identified beyond her own business.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21 — no matches found
- ⚠️ TOOLING BLOCK: Sunbiz unresponsive this session; recommend a manual recheck of FIT4MOM Palm Beach's corporate registration.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — the CIVICS Disclosure Survey PDF answers have not yet been extracted/indexed per-candidate.
Policy & Platform Consistency 14 / 20
Voting Record
Gregory has served in the FL House since 3/24/2026, after winning a special election defeating Republican Jon Maples — notably flipping a previously deep-red district that includes Mar-a-Lago, a nationally-covered result (CNN). Given her brief tenure (under 5 months as of this research date), a substantial floor-vote/bill-sponsorship record was not located. `[A detailed voting record was NOT FOUND — searched: flhouse.gov, nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21]`.
- CNN — "Democrat Emily Gregory flips deep-red Florida House district that includes Mar-a-Lago" — 2026-08-21
- WFLX — "Democrat Emily Gregory defeats Republican Jon Maples in Florida District 87 special election" — 2026-08-21
Position Consistency
`[Insufficient tenure to assess consistency over time in a legislative record — she has served under 5 months — searched: nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21 — no matches
Flip-Flops
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Emily Gregory" HD-87 flip-flop reversed position — 2026-08-21]`. No documented instance of Gregory reversing a stated position was identified.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21 — no matches
Endorsements
Received: Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried publicly congratulated and expressed support for Gregory following her special-election win. `[A comprehensive endorsements-received list beyond this was NOT FOUND; note she did not complete Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey — 2026-08-21]`. `[Endorsements given — NOT FOUND — 2026-08-21]`.
- Florida Politics — "Democrat Emily Gregory wins Special Election for HD 87 in Palm Beach County" — 2026-08-21
- Her brief tenure (since 3/24/2026) inherently limits the volume of available Category 3 material; recommend a follow-up pass after she completes more legislative sessions.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — the CIVICS Disclosure Survey PDF answers have not yet been extracted/indexed per-candidate.
Community Engagement & Character 19 / 25
Community Involvement
Gregory has a sustained, documented, in-person community record predating her special-election win: seven years leading FIT4MOM Palm Beach (already documented in Category 2), a fitness community for pregnant and postpartum women, plus a professional background in public health and mental health services. She is an active campaign volunteer-organizer (Mobilize.us canvassing events).
- IconicBios — "Emily Gregory" biography — 2026-08-24
- Mobilize.us — "Canvass for Emily Gregory" — 2026-08-24
Veteran / First Responder Service
`[NOT FOUND — Gregory has not served in the military herself — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Emily Gregory" HD-87 military veteran — 2026-08-24]`. She is a documented military spouse (Army), a family connection distinct from personal service, noted factually.
- IconicBios — as above — 2026-08-24
Faith-Based Involvement (scored on character consistency)
Confirmed, explicitly and publicly shared Catholic Christian faith, which she has stated informs her values around family, community, and service. Her documented public health/maternal-wellness career (FIT4MOM) and stated commitment to Florida families are directly consistent with her stated faith values; no contradictions identified.
- IconicBios — as above — 2026-08-24
Debates / Town Halls
`[No documented specific debate/town hall invitations or appearances for the November 2026 general-election rematch against Maples were found this pass — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Emily Gregory" HD-87 debate 2026 — 2026-08-24]`. She won the March 2026 special election in a competitive, closely-contested race (51.2%–48.8%).
- CBS12 — "Democrat Emily Gregory to be sworn in as state representative for House District 87" — 2026-08-24
Social Media Presence & Consistency
Active official/campaign presence via Instagram (@emilygregoryforflorida) and Mobilize.us volunteer infrastructure. `[A full manual review of her last 90 days of posts was NOT performed this pass — 2026-08-24]`. No inflammatory or contradictory content was surfaced in general search.
- Instagram — @emilygregoryforflorida — 2026-08-24
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: No debate coverage or full social-media audit completed this pass; recommend follow-up closer to November given this is a competitive rematch race.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass despite her "Responded" survey status.
Campaign Transparency 21 / 25
Top Donors / Donor Composition
Gregory's special-election campaign raised approximately $176,000 directly plus ~$82,000 in in-kind support, totaling ~$325,000 with political-committee help; a later reporting period (2/13–3/19/26) alone brought in $213,928, which press coverage attributed largely to "thousands of small-dollar donations." She was significantly outspent by opponent Jon Maples ($440,000 total) yet won the special election, an outcome press coverage characterized as an upset in a traditionally Republican district.
- Florida Politics — "Emily Gregory lands new endorsements, tops $80K in HD 87 Special Election as vote-by-mail begins" — 2026-08-26
PAC / LLC / Funneling Structures
`[Specific PAC contributions NOT independently itemized — searched: Florida Division of Elections — 2026-08-26]`. Some in-kind support was routed through a political committee, but no LLC, dark-money, or foreign-adjacent funding was identified.
- CBS12 — "Cash surge: More than $1M spent in House District 87 race between Gregory, Maples" — 2026-08-26
Advertising Spend
Total spending across both HD-87 campaigns (Gregory and Maples combined) exceeded $1 million for a single State House special election, an unusually large sum for this office. Gregory's own share was smaller than Maples', consistent with her being outspent yet still winning.
- CBS12 — as above — 2026-08-26
Grassroots Engagement
Press coverage directly attributes Gregory's fundraising surge and ultimate victory to "thousands of small-dollar donations" and grassroots energy, despite being outspent — a strong, multi-source-corroborated grassroots-engagement signal.
- Florida Politics — as above — 2026-08-26
Donations to Political Figures
`[NOT FOUND — searched: Florida Division of Elections, nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
- Notable: a well-documented grassroots/small-dollar upset win despite being outspent — a positive transparency and engagement signal.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass despite a survey response being on file — the specific relevant questions (Q33-35) were not cross-checked this session.
Issue-Based Positions 20 / 40
2A Rights Score
`[UPDATED 2026-09-15 — Sun-Sentinel candidate questionnaire, published 2025-12-24]` Gregory stated directly: "I would vote against HB 133" — a 2026 bill that would lower the purchase age for rifles/shotguns from 21 back to 18 (the age was raised after the Parkland shooting). She explained: "After Parkland, Florida raised the purchase age from 18 to 21 because it saved lives. Weakening that law puts communities at risk." She further stated support for "strengthening red flag laws, improving background checks, and investing in mental health."
- Sun-Sentinel — "Questionnaire: Emily Gregory, Democratic candidate for House District 87" — published 2025-12-24, retrieved 2026-09-15 (full text provided by operator)
Pro-Life / Pro-Family Score
Championed "women's health and reproductive rights," including opposition to Florida's six-week abortion ban.
- aol.com — "Small Business Owner Emily Gregory Running to Flip Mar-a-Lago Blue" — 2026-08-26
Fiscal Conservatism Score
`[UPDATED 2026-09-15 — Sun-Sentinel questionnaire]` Asked directly about a 2026 proposal to eliminate property taxes on all homesteaded properties, Gregory said she would oppose it: "eliminating this revenue source would devastate local governments, police and fire services, road maintenance, and our public schools... I support responsible tax relief, but not proposals that hollow out essential services." A real, specific, on-the-record position opposing an aggressive tax-elimination proposal in favor of preserving government revenue/services.
- Sun-Sentinel — questionnaire, as above — 2025-12-24, retrieved 2026-09-15
Parental Rights Score
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND on curriculum/parental-consent-in-education specifically — Steps 1-6 exhausted including the Sun-Sentinel questionnaire, X/Twitter, YouTube, campaign website, Moms for Liberty — 2026-09-15]`. The Sun-Sentinel questionnaire does include a related-but-distinct question: Gregory opposes eliminating Florida's childhood vaccine mandates ("Politicians shouldn't play doctor or substitute ideology for science"), a parental-choice-adjacent public-health position, but not a statement on the education-curriculum/parental-consent scope this metric measures. Noted for context, not scored here.
- Sun-Sentinel — questionnaire, as above — 2025-12-24 (context only); nationwide Google/news search, X/Twitter search — 2026-09-15 — no matches on the specific topic
Election Integrity Position
`[UPDATED 2026-09-15]` Campaigned to "end corruption in Florida politics" — a general anti-corruption message. The Sun-Sentinel questionnaire adds two related but distinct positions: she opposes "any politically motivated effort to redraw Florida's congressional districts" before the regular census-based cycle ("mid-cycle redistricting done for partisan gain undermines our democracy"), and she opposes recent public-records-law exemptions that shield government decisions from public view ("Sunshine laws exist for a reason, and I will always defend them"). Both are genuine, on-the-record governance/transparency positions, but neither addresses this metric's specific scope (voter ID, mail-in ballots, election audits) — noted for context rather than scored under this metric to avoid stretching unrelated content into a specific-topic score.
- aol.com — as above — 2026-08-26; Sun-Sentinel — questionnaire, as above — 2025-12-24, retrieved 2026-09-15
Housing / Insurance Position
`[UPDATED 2026-09-15 — Sun-Sentinel questionnaire]` Gregory stated a specific, detailed position: "I support creating a state-backed catastrophic fund providing universal windstorm insurance coverage to Floridians... a state-run fund [to cover] wind damage... reducing reliance on costly private insurers." This is a specific, government-administered insurance-alternative proposal — detailed and on-the-record, but structurally the kind of government-run insurance mechanism this metric's rubric scores on the lower end regardless of how well-specified it is, since the rubric grades this metric on free-market-vs-government-intervention direction, not specificity alone.
- Sun-Sentinel — questionnaire, as above — 2025-12-24, retrieved 2026-09-15
Education / School Choice Position
Called for "increased funding to rebuild and strengthen public schools," criticizing the GOP-led legislature for "gutting" education — a public-school-funding-first position.
- aol.com — as above — 2026-08-26
Environment / Everglades Position
`[UPDATED 2026-09-15 — Sun-Sentinel questionnaire]` Asked specifically about climate adaptation for HD-87's coastal municipalities, Gregory detailed a multi-part position: securing state investment in "coastal resiliency projects such as dune restoration, stormwater upgrades, and infrastructure hardening"; holding insurance companies accountable; empowering (not preempting) local governments to adopt "climate-smart building codes and resiliency plans"; and expanding access to clean-energy/resilience funding. A specific, PBC-relevant (coastal resilience, water infrastructure), locally-empowering rather than top-down-mandate position.
- Sun-Sentinel — questionnaire, as above — 2025-12-24, retrieved 2026-09-15
- Scores reflect the project's confirmed scoring philosophy; documented positions are consistent with a mainstream Democratic platform, matching the pattern of her March 2026 special-election win.
- [UPDATED 2026-09-15] A Sun-Sentinel candidate questionnaire (full text provided by the operator) supplied specific, on-the-record positions for 2A Rights, Fiscal Conservatism, Housing/Insurance, and Environment/Everglades, replacing "no stated position found" defaults with real, sourced content. See CATEGORY 6 SUGGESTED REVISION below.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.