Marly Métayer narrowly lost her bid for the Coral Springs City Commission seat previously held by her late daughter, Nancy Métayer, in an election held on November 3. She fell short by 1,576 votes in a competitive five-candidate race.
William “Bill” Capplis, a veteran officer with the Coral Springs Police Department, won the contest with approximately 39% of the vote, according to unofficial results from Broward County. Métayer received 35%, while the remaining votes were split among three other candidates: Terry Ann Williams Edden, Kohy Holmes, and Erick Nyatenya.
Marly Métayer, 57, a registered nurse, entered the race in May following the tragic death of her daughter in an apparent domestic violence incident last April. Nancy Métayer, who was 38, was a prominent figure in Florida Democratic politics and the first Black woman elected to the Coral Springs commission, representing a diverse community of over 134,000 residents, many of whom are of Haitian descent.
Métayer campaigned to fill the remaining two years of her daughter’s term and to honor her daughter’s legacy through public service. Her candidacy resonated deeply with the Haitian community, which mourned Nancy’s death as a significant loss.
Alongside Métayer, Madline Noel, another Haitian American woman, also ran for a commissioner position in nearby Lauderhill but did not win. In contrast, three other Haitian American women were successful in their campaigns for public school board seats in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties, marking a historic milestone in South Florida politics.
The results of these elections underscore the evolving political landscape in the region, with increasing representation for Haitian Americans in local governance.
