Candidate Alan "AlJohn" Farquharson, Palmetto Bay Council Seat 3

Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson is running for Seat 3 on the Palmetto Bay Village Council in the nonpartisan municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The seat is open because Council Member Marsha Matson is term-limited. Farquharson shares the ballot with three other candidates: Lasaly Changkachith, Carl Crawford and A.J. “AL” Lara.

At a Glance

Office: Village of Palmetto Bay Councilmember, Seat 3 (nonpartisan)
Area covered: Seat 3 is the council seat for the village’s Southern residential area. Candidates must live in that area.
Incumbent? No. The seat is open.
Opponents on the ballot: Lasaly Changkachith, Carl Crawford and A.J. “AL” Lara
Filing: Registered Aug. 3, 2026, and qualified Aug. 11, 2026, according to the Village of Palmetto Bay
Prior candidacy: Palmetto Bay mayor, 2022
Campaign website: No 2026 campaign website was verified.

Background

Farquharson explained his nickname in a 2022 candidate statement published by Miami’s Community News:

“My name is Alan John Farquharson, just like my father. For this reason, my grandpa called me AlJohn — and so can you.”

Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson, Miami’s Community News, Oct. 3, 2022

A November 2019 Miami’s Community News article described him as a native Miamian who had lived in Palmetto Bay for four years at that point. The article said he learned to weld copper as an apprentice in his father’s air-conditioning business. A December 2019 article identified him as a professional air-conditioning technician who was also working as an artist. In his 2026 Miami Herald questionnaire, he cited small-business and hands-on experience and deep roots in the community.

Farquharson makes sculptures, benches and musical instruments from recycled and discarded copper. In October 2019, the ArtSouth exhibition program opened a show of 25 of his copper works, titled “Pipe Dreams,” at the Perrine Community House in Palmetto Bay. Mayor Karyn Cunningham attended the opening reception (Miami’s Community News). In December 2019, he donated a copper sculpture of a mother and baby dolphin, the school mascot, to Coral Reef Elementary during the school’s Career Day. His son was a student there at the time. The article identified his wife as Yanet (Miami’s Community News).

2022 mayoral race

Farquharson ran for Palmetto Bay mayor in November 2022. He finished third of three candidates with 1,334 votes, or 12.13%. Karyn Cunningham won with 6,030 votes (54.84%), and former Mayor Eugene Flinn received 3,632 votes (33.03%), according to Miami-Dade election night reporting for the 2022 General Election. In that race, he described himself as offering voters a centrist “third option,” and his closing statement urged voters to elect three new officials (Miami’s Community News).

In Their Own Words

“To restore civility, honesty and accountability to our village”

Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson, asked why he is running, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“I bring small business, hands-on experience, deep roots in the community, and a practical commitment to putting residents, responsible spending and Palmetto Bay’s future first.”

Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“Our most pressing issue is this election itself. We must elect leaders who will put residents first.”

Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson, Miami Herald candidate questionnaire, Sept. 24, 2026

“This future must preserve the fundamental that made us great in the first place — the single-family home.”

Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson, as a 2022 mayoral candidate, Miami’s Community News, Oct. 3, 2022

Where He Stands on the Issues

Farquharson has not held elected office, so he has no voting record. His 2026 positions are limited to his short answers in the Miami Herald questionnaire. No 2026 campaign platform or questionnaire answers from him were found in other outlets reviewed for this profile, including the South Dade News Leader.

Civility and accountability

He told the Herald that he is running to restore civility, honesty and accountability to the village. He named the election itself as the most pressing issue and said voters should choose leaders who put residents first.

Spending and residents’ priorities

In the same questionnaire, he said he is committed to putting residents, responsible spending and the village’s future first.

Positions from his 2022 mayoral run

In his 2022 candidate statement to Miami’s Community News, Farquharson said village decisions should be based first on what is good for residents. He noted that redevelopment was spreading across Miami and said Palmetto Bay was not exempt. He said the single-family home should be preserved as a foundation of the community, and he described himself as a voice in the center rather than on the political right or left. Those statements were made four years ago in a different race and may not reflect his current platform.

What This Office Does

Palmetto Bay was incorporated on Sept. 10, 2002, and had 24,439 residents in the 2020 Census. It covers about 8.4 square miles in South Miami-Dade (Census figures via Wikipedia). The Village Council has five members: the mayor, the vice mayor and three council members. The village directory currently lists Mayor Karyn Cunningham, Vice Mayor Mark Merwitzer and Council Members Patrick Fiore, Steve Cody and Marsha Matson.

Section 2.03 of the village charter divides Palmetto Bay into three residential areas. Seat 1 represents the Northern Area, Seat 2 the Central Area and Seat 3 the Southern Area. To run for a council seat, a candidate must have lived in the village continuously for at least two years before qualifying. The candidate must also live in the seat’s residential area when qualifying, when elected and for the whole term (Village of Palmetto Bay).

Issues before the council

The Luxcom property. Luxcom has asked the village to rezone about 60 acres at 6527 SW 152 St., the site of a former FPL power plant. The request would change the zoning from E-1, which allows one-acre estate homes, to Planned Area Development. Luxcom also sued the village in November 2020 under Florida’s Bert J. Harris Jr. Private Property Rights Protection Act, seeking more than $20 million. The village scheduled a public workshop and a zoning hearing on the application (Miami’s Community News, Oct. 3, 2026).
Six charter referendums on the same ballot (Florida Politics):
- Referendum 1 would let public speakers give only their name and municipality instead of a home address, and would require written comments to be submitted and distributed before a meeting.
- Referendum 2 would require voter approval for most sales, transfers, leases or licenses of village property. Leases of three years or less would be exempt.
- Referendum 3 would direct the village to try to acquire the U.S. Department of Agriculture property near SW 136th Street and SW 67th Avenue for park or open space use if it becomes available.
- Referendum 4 would change Council Seats 1, 2 and 3 to single-member districts, starting with Seat 2 in 2028 and Seats 1 and 3 in 2030. The mayor and vice mayor would still be elected village-wide.
- Referendum 5 would change how term limits are counted and add a four-year waiting period after an official reaches the limit.
- Referendum 6 would require sidewalks, bike paths and golf-cart facilities in roadway projects unless at least four council members waive the requirement. It would also create a dedicated transportation fund.

The Race

All four Seat 3 candidates qualified during the village’s qualifying period, which ran from noon Aug. 3 to noon Aug. 14, 2026. They appear on the ballot in this order: Lasaly Changkachith, Carl Crawford, Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson and A.J. “AL” Lara (Miami-Dade Elections master ballot).

Lasaly Changkachith serves on the village Resiliency Committee and has spent more than 20 years as a Scout leader. Her platform focuses on fiscal accountability, traffic and street safety, and protecting green space and water (campaign website).
Carl Crawford is a Palmetto Bay homeowner and business owner who says he has nearly 30 years of experience in real estate, business and project management. He lists managing growth as his first priority (South Dade News Leader).
A.J. “AL” Lara was the first of the four to register, in June 2025. He cites experience in leadership, operations, facilities and budgeting, and his campaign site describes nearly two decades of work with local law enforcement.

Palmetto Bay voters will also choose a mayor, with Karen Baez-Wallis, Tamara Mourino and former Council Member David M. Singer on the ballot, and a Seat 1 council member, with Pam Gorman and Tana Llinas running. All three offices are open because the incumbents are term-limited (Political Cortadito). Former Vice Mayor John DuBois registered to run for mayor but withdrew to run for Miami-Dade County Commission District 8. He lost that race to Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins in the Aug. 18 primary (South Dade News Leader). If one is needed, Palmetto Bay’s runoff date is Dec. 1, 2026 (Florida Politics).

How to Vote

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your assigned precinct.
Early voting: Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, at any Miami-Dade early voting site. Sites in South Dade include the Coral Reef Branch Library, 9211 SW 152nd St., and the South Dade Government Center, 10710 SW 211th St. (early voting schedule).
Vote by mail: The Elections Department must receive your request by 5 p.m. on the 12th day before the election, which is Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. A postmarked request does not count. Completed ballots must arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day (Miami-Dade Elections).
To check your registration, find your sample ballot or look up your polling place, visit Miami-Dade Elections.

Community Leadership Alliance is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. This profile is based on public records, candidate statements and news coverage, including the South Dade News Leader. Candidates who wish to submit corrections may contact us through our Contact page.

Candidate Alan “AlJohn” Farquharson, Palmetto Bay Council Seat 3