Palm Bay, FL – The qualifying window for the 2026 Palm Bay municipal elections closed yesterday, June 12, 2026, finalizing the field of candidates who will compete for Seats 4 and 5 on the City Council. Exactly three candidates have qualified to run for Seat 4, and exactly three candidates have qualified for Seat 5. Both races will appear on the ballot for the upcoming primary election on August 18, 2026.
These municipal elections arrive during a period of active debate over residential growth, municipal transparency, and public safety. Because municipal races in Palm Bay are nonpartisan, all registered voters residing within the city limits are eligible to cast ballots in both contests, regardless of their political party affiliation.
Primary Election Rules and Mechanics
The primary election scheduled for August 18, 2026, operates under specific charter rules for municipal races. If any single candidate in either the Seat 4 or Seat 5 contest secures more than 50 percent of the total votes cast in the primary, that candidate wins the seat outright. No further election is held for that seat, and the winner will be sworn in to begin their term.
If no candidate in a race receives a majority of the votes, the primary serves as a sorting mechanism. The top two vote-getters in that specific contest will advance to the general election on November 3, 2026. The candidate who wins the general election will then assume the office.
Seat 4: Incumbent Challenge and Platform Debates
The Seat 4 race features incumbent Councilmember Kenny Johnson, who faces challenges from Alfy Agarie and Michael J. Bruyette. Johnson was first elected to the City Council and has focused much of his platform on municipal oversight. During his current term, Johnson advocated for the establishment of an independent Inspector General to prevent information filtering between city staff and the council. He also requested an operational audit during the fiscal year 2026 budget discussions.
Alfy Agarie, the operations director for Alfy’s Trucking Inc., is a long-time resident of the city. His platform centers on promoting commercial growth and addressing the city’s infrastructure needs. Agarie is seeking to build on the momentum of his 2024 campaign for Seat 3, where he narrowly lost in a runoff election, receiving 49.45 percent of the vote.
Michael J. Bruyette enters the race with a background as a concrete specialist and foreman at Leo’s Concrete Specialties. Bruyette has proposed a platform that includes a temporary hiatus on residential building permits, prioritizing commercial development, and hiring 40 additional police officers. He also advocates for establishing an auxiliary police station in the Compound, a large undeveloped area in southwestern Palm Bay. Bruyette has utilized social media to explain his policy ideas and his perspective on city issues.
Public records show that Bruyette was convicted of second-degree murder and conspiracy in Massachusetts in 1986. This criminal history has prompted questions regarding his eligibility to hold municipal office in Florida. Bruyette qualified as a candidate because his voting rights were restored following the completion of his sentence.
Seat 5: Audits, Lawsuits, and Development Directives
The contest for Seat 5 presents a choice between incumbent Deputy Mayor Mike Jaffe, Santa Isabel Wright, and Eduardo Macaya. Jaffe, a realtor and contractor, was elected to the council during the November 2024 special election to fill the vacancy left by a former councilmember. During his tenure, Jaffe has supported initiatives such as the creation of a municipal land trust to preserve surplus city real estate for conservation, particularly in the Compound. He also sponsored the controversial 2025 policy change that limits general public comments to city residents and business owners to reduce meeting costs.
Santa Isabel Wright is a community leader, Hispanic Chamber representative, and the owner of Cornerstone Management Solutions. Wright previously ran for mayor and has focused her campaign platform on transparency, accountability, and the implementation of independent audits of city operations. She has also been a vocal advocate for community proposals, including the Heritage Park development.
A central dynamic in the Seat 5 race is an active legal dispute involving Wright and the city administration. Wright and her husband, William A. Wright, filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Palm Bay, the Palm Bay Police Department, and three individual police officers on May 28, 2026. The lawsuit, filed in the Brevard County Circuit Court under Case Number 05-2026-CA-032364-XXCA-BC, names Officer Travis Dumont, Officer Monica Schuck, and Officer Pierre Richerd as defendants. Because Jaffe serves as Deputy Mayor and a member of the governing body, Wright is actively running for a seat on the very council she is suing.
Eduardo Macaya, a self-employed landscape company owner, is also seeking Seat 5. Macaya previously ran for the seat in the 2024 special election. His platform continues to focus on infrastructure improvements, including traffic management, road conditions, and drainage systems. He has also expressed concern over the rate of development in the city and emphasized the need to prioritize public safety.
Campaign Finance: A Detailed Audit of Candidates’ War Chests
Public records filed with the Palm Bay City Clerk show a stark contrast in fundraising and expenditures across both council races. While the incumbents have amassed significant war chest contributions from business entities and professional associations, their challengers are largely self-funded or operating on minimal budgets.
The financial filings also reveal several regulatory oversights and missing documents. Candidate reports range from detailed ledgers to delinquent submissions that violate statutory deadlines.
Seat 4 Campaign Finance and Candidate Filing Discrepancies
In the Seat 4 race, incumbent Kenny Johnson holds a massive financial advantage, having raised $17,000.00 to date. Johnson’s reports show thirteen $1,000.00 maximum contributions from business entities, developers, and attorneys, while his expenditures consist solely of the $182.31 municipal qualifying fee. This leaves him with $16,817.69 in net campaign funds as the primary campaign enters its final weeks.
In contrast, Johnson’s opponents are operating with limited resources. Alfred R. “Alfy” Agarie has reported $500.00 in monetary contributions, consisting entirely of a self-loan, and has spent $313.41 on qualifying fees, checks, and internet services. Michael J. Bruyette has raised $2,280.00, which includes self-loans totaling $2,080.00 and $200.00 in individual contributions. Bruyette has spent $1,955.14, with the majority allocated to campaign signs.
Furthermore, city records indicate Bruyette switched his candidacy from Seat 5 to Seat 4 without filing the required campaign amendment form, and his filings contain a double-reported self-loan of $80.00.
Seat 5 Campaign Finance and Delinquent Reports
Incumbent Deputy Mayor Mike Jaffe leads the Seat 5 race financially with $17,025.00 in total contributions and $7,689.45 in expenditures. Jaffe’s campaign was seeded with ten $1,000.00 maximum contributions in late 2025 and has since funded significant outreach, including entry fees for local parades, community barbecues, and consulting services. His net campaign reserves stand at $9,335.55.
Jaffe’s challengers have reported minimal financial activity. Santa Isabel Wright has raised $250.00 through a personal self-loan, spending $182.31 on her qualifying fee. Meanwhile, Eduardo Macaya’s campaign ledger shows no contributions or expenditures, but city clerk records flag his primary P1 report as delinquent. The mandatory report was due on June 19, 2026, and its absence leaves his $182.31 qualifying fee unaccounted for under state campaign finance laws.
Candidate Directory and Official Documents
Below is the directory of candidates for the 2026 Palm Bay City Council Seats 4 and 5 races. For candidates who have submitted official biographical data sheets to the City Clerk, direct links to those documents on the city’s server are provided below.
City Council Seat 4
Kenny Johnson (Incumbent)
Contact: johnson4palmbay@gmail.com
Biographical Data: No biographical data sheet is linked on the city elections portal (incumbents are exempt from public address/phone disclosure).
Alfy Agarie
Contact: alfyagarie@gmail.com
Biographical Data: Official Candidate Bio Sheet (PDF)
Michael J. Bruyette
Contact: mbruyette922@gmail.com
Biographical Data: Official Candidate Bio Sheet (PDF)
David Rodriguez (Withdrawn)
Contact: drodriguez.campaign@gmail.com
Biographical Data: Official Candidate Bio Sheet (PDF)
City Council Seat 5
Mike Jaffe (Incumbent)
Contact: mjaffe@thejaffegroupfl.com
Biographical Data: No biographical data sheet is linked on the city elections portal (incumbents are exempt from public address/phone disclosure).
Santa Isabel Wright
Contact: MRSISABELWRIGHT@AOL.COM
Biographical Data: Official Candidate Bio Sheet (PDF)
Eduardo Macaya
Contact: coachmacaya4palmbay@gmail.com
Biographical Data: Official Candidate Bio Sheet (PDF)
Official Candidate Portal
For additional details, qualifying records, or to view the original postings, visit the official city clerk’s elections portal.
This story is also published at news.thepalmbayer.com/news/palm-bay-city-council-candidate-guide-2026/ with additional inline visuals, related coverage links, and a video embed where available.
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