Nancy Metayer Bowen killed day before she was expected to launch bid for Congress
Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen was an up-and-coming Democratic South Florida politician who attracted attention when she was elected in 2020 as Coral Springs’ first Black and Haitian-American female commissioner, a milestone in the city’s multiethnic community.
Friendly, photogenic and almost always wearing a big smile, political consultants said Wednesday she was viewed as a promising candidate before she was killed in a domestic incident at her Coral Springs home. Her husband, Stephen Bowen, is in police custody.
Wednesday night, Metayer Bowen’s family lmembers left a message on her Facebook page:
“While many knew her as a leader and advocate, we knew her as a sister, a daughter, and a friend whose warmth and laughter filled every room. Her legacy will live on not only in the policies she helped shape but in the countless lives she touched,” read the post signed by The Metayer Family, who asked for privacy.
The death of Metayer Bowen, 38, came as she was expected to launch a Congressional run on Thursday in the Democratic primary for the seat held by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, according to two people familiar with her plans, the Miami Herald reported.
Cherfilus-McCormick is facing federal charges related to alleged theft of disaster relief funds and faces reelection this year.
“Nancy was one of the nicest people I worked with,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Broward Democrat now serving in Congress, said in a social media post. “Always fighting for her community, always pushing to help. She had such a future. This is terrible.”
Metayer Bowen was hired last summer to be program manager for Miami-Dade’s ClimateReady Tech Hub, a federally funded office that promotes private-sector innovation related to resiliency against climate change.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement she was heartbroken by Metayer Bowen’s death.
“She cared deeply about our environment and about equity, and used her voice without hesitation,” Levine Cava said. “As Vice Mayor, she never lost sight of the people she was fighting for.”
Marleine Bastien, a Miami-Dade commissioner and a fellow Haitian American, called Metayer Bowen “a passionate public servant.”
“Her commitment to service and her impact on the lives of so many will not be forgotten,” Bastien said in a statement.
After serving one term at Coral Springs commissioner, Metayer Bowen won reelection in 2024, and last November the commission appointed her to serve a second one-year term as vice mayor.
Her Instagram account is filled with photos of Metayer Bowen attending city and county events.
Fellow Coral Springs Commissioner Joshua Simmons said Metayer Bowen was a popular member of the commission who enjoyed meeting with constituents.
A visibly shaken Simmons spoke at a late-afternoon news conference at City Hall, where Metayer Bowen’s death was announced.
“She went to every event that she could go to because she truly cared about people and making sure they had a relationship with their elected officials,” Simmons said.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 7:51 PM.
