Nancy Metayer Bowen, a Florida Democratic politician preparing to run for Congress who also served as the vice chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, was found dead in her home. Local police have arrested her husband in connection with her death. Bowen served as the vice mayor and commissioner of Coral Springs. Police conducted a wellness check at her home on Wednesday morning, where they discovered her body, TMZ reported.
Authorities report that Nancy’s husband, Stephen Bowen, is in custody as her death is being investigated as a domestic violence incident. Police have stated that there are no additional suspects involved.
Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D) revealed that Nancy was set to announce her candidacy for Congress, with the Miami Herald noting that the announcement was scheduled for Thursday. According to sources cited by the outlet, Nancy intended to run in the Democratic primary for the seat currently held by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), who has been indicted for allegedly diverting millions of dollars in disaster relief funds to her campaign.
Nancy was elected in 2020 in Coral Springs and was re-elected in 2024. In November 2025, she was appointed to serve a second term as the city’s vice mayor.
A federal grand jury in Miami indicted Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants in December on charges that they stole about $5 million in FEMA disaster-relief funds and funneled the money into her 2021 congressional campaign, the Justice Department announced.
According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick — who represents Florida’s 20th District in Broward and Palm Beach counties — and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, diverted an overpayment tied to a COVID-19 vaccination-staffing contract awarded to their family’s home-health-care company, Newsweek reported.
Prosecutors allege the money was moved through multiple accounts to conceal its source, with a significant share ultimately directed from the FEMA-funded contract into political contributions.
The indictment also accuses the congresswoman of conspiring with her tax preparer to file a false federal tax return.
The ongoing ethics and criminal investigations continue to overshadow the congresswoman’s already troubled reputation, even prior to this indictment.
If found guilty, she could face a prison sentence of up to 53 years, while her brother could receive up to 35 years, prosecutors said.
Last week, the House Ethics Committee found that the Florida Democrat violated campaign finance laws and other regulations by receiving the federal relief funds and directing a significant portion of that money toward political activities.
An eight-member subcommittee voted early Friday that Cherfilus-McCormick was guilty on 25 of 27 counts related to the case, following a rare public proceeding that lasted more than six hours the previous evening, the New York Post reported on Friday.
“Shortly after the House returns from the April recess, the full Committee will hold a hearing to determine what, if any, sanction would be appropriate for the Committee to recommend,” Ethics Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement.
The subcommittee’s findings could lead to a recommendation that the full House censure or potentially expel Cherfilus-McCormick from Congress. The panel, composed of four Democrats and four Republicans, did not release a detailed vote breakdown. However, members from both parties questioned Cherfilus-McCormick’s defense during the hearing.
Her attorney, William Barzee, sought to delay the proceedings, citing an upcoming federal trial in which she is expected to face charges related to many of the same allegations.
In November 2025, federal prosecutors indicted Cherfilus-McCormick on 15 counts tied to allegations that she misused $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to support her congressional campaign, The Post noted.
Prosecutors allege that she used some of the funds for personal expenses, such as purchasing a 3.14-carat yellow diamond ring.
During Thursday’s hearing, Barzee raised concerns that any findings from the Ethics Committee could influence the potential jury pool ahead of the federal trial.
“She’s absolutely innocent. She’s looking forward to being in criminal court to prove her innocence, which I’m confident she’s going to be able to do,” he told the subcommittee members.