Haitian-American candidates win seats in Florida Legislature, city halls and school boards
Daphne Campbell won a return to Tallahassee, North Miami reelected two councilwomen, and Haitian-American candidates won school board races in three South Florida counties over the 2026 election cycle.
By TELE PAM Newsroom | November 5, 2026
NORTH MIAMI, Florida. — At the Joe Celestin Center on Tuesday night, Daphne Campbell celebrated a victory that will send her back to the Florida Legislature. At NOMI Village, Mary Estimé-Irvin gathered with supporters after North Miami voters gave her another term on the City Council.
TELE PAM spoke with both candidates at their November 3 election-night gatherings. Campbell talked about the support she received in her campaign for the Florida House. Estimé-Irvin reflected on what another term means for her and the community she represents.
Their wins were among a series of victories for Haitian-American candidates in Florida’s 2026 election cycle. Voters returned lawmakers to both chambers of the Legislature, kept incumbents in office in North Miami and North Lauderdale, and elected school board members in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Daphne Campbell wins a return to the Florida House
Campbell defeated Republican Wancito Francius in House District 108, which includes parts of northeastern Miami-Dade County. Unofficial election-night returns showed Campbell with 39,264 votes, or 80.9%, to 9,283 for Francius.
Campbell served in the Florida House from 2010 to 2016 and in the Florida Senate from 2016 to 2018. She will return to the House, where lawmakers vote on state spending and legislation that affects services in her district.
At the Joe Celestin Center, Campbell spoke with TELE PAM about what it meant to win after several years out of state office. Supporters at the gathering also shared their reactions to the result.
North Miami voters return two incumbents to the council
Estimé-Irvin won the District 3 race with 1,990 votes, or 52.8%, defeating Jobans Jules and Carolina Matamoros. She spoke with TELE PAM at NOMI Village about her reelection and the support she received during the campaign.
Among those at the gathering were Vanessa Pierre and her father. Both spoke with TELE PAM about why residents should take part in local elections. Pierre, who worked on Estimé-Irvin’s campaign, also described what it meant to be part of the team on election night.
In District 2, Councilwoman Kassandra Timothe won reelection with 1,924 votes, or 66.2%, to 982 for challenger Brian Jinks. With both incumbents returning, Districts 2 and 3 will keep their representatives on the council that votes on North Miami’s budget, development proposals and city services.
Bernard and Jacques win reelection to the Legislature
In Palm Beach County, Democratic state Sen. Mack Bernard won another term in Senate District 24. Unofficial returns showed Bernard with 98,253 votes, or 64.5%, to 54,023 for Republican Jackie Green. Bernard previously served in the Florida House and on the Palm Beach County Commission.
In Pinellas County, Republican state Rep. Berny Jacques won reelection in House District 59 by 4,707 votes. Jacques received 36,062 votes, or 53.5%, while Democratic challenger Susan Rochelle Leff received 31,355. Jacques was first elected to the House in 2022.
The two races kept Haitian-American incumbents in office in both chambers and in both major parties.
School board races decided across three counties
In Miami-Dade County, Linda Cothiere won the School Board District 1 runoff with 51.7% of the vote to 48.3% for Katrina Wilson. The two advanced to November after neither won outright in August. Cothiere will represent a district that includes communities in northern Miami-Dade.
In Palm Beach County, Christina L. Romelus received 61.6% of the vote in the School Board District 4 runoff, defeating Daniel Zapata.
Broward County’s School Board District 7 race was decided in August. Cynthia Alceus Dominique defeated Rochelle Soffer in the nonpartisan contest and secured the seat without a November runoff.
The three members will serve on separate boards. Each will vote on district budgets and policies that affect how schools allocate classroom resources and provide services to students.
Borgelin wins another term as North Lauderdale mayor
In Broward County, Samson Borgelin won reelection as mayor of North Lauderdale with about 57% of the vote. The result keeps Borgelin in office as the city considers spending, development and municipal services.
Watch TELE PAM’s election-night report for interviews with Daphne Campbell and Mary Estimé-Irvin, along with reactions from supporters at the Joe Celestin Center and NOMI Village.
TELE PAM NEWS | South Florida | Channel 18.10
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