Michael Carbonara
Michael Carbonara (born May 24, 1983) is an American businessman and Republican political candidate. He is a candidate for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives in Florida's 22nd congressional district in the 2026 election cycle.
Early life and education
Carbonara was born in Bethpage, New York, and attended high school in upstate New York. He later attended Ulster County Community College, where he earned an associate degree in business administration.
Business career
In 2017, Carbonara founded Ibanera, a financial technology company focused on cross-border payments, currency conversion, and digital banking infrastructure services.
The company announced a partnership with Cross River Bank in 2022 to support payment processing capabilities. In 2023, Ibanera secured $18.5 million in reported capital investment.
Carbonara served as Chief Executive Officer of Ibanera until stepping down in 2025 prior to launching his congressional campaign.
In March 2025, OffshoreAlert reported that Deltec Bank filed a lawsuit against Ibanera and Carbonara alleging financial disputes related to approximately $18 million.
In July 2025, The Tribune reported that Deltec Bank continued efforts to recover approximately $20 million following a court decision related to an asset freeze.
Carbonara co-founded Gattaca Genomics in 2024 alongside Dr. Maria Ines "Mari" Mitrani.
2026 congressional campaign
In May 2025, Carbonara announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in Florida's 25th congressional district for the 2026 United States House of Representatives election.
Carbonara initially ran for the Republican nomination in Florida's 25th congressional district. Following redistricting developments in 2026, his campaign website states that he is running in Florida's 22nd congressional district. The district is currently represented by Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz. In an October 2025 interview, Carbonara stated that Wasserman Schultz is “against Israel” and described his own policy positions in contrast to hers. Carbonara has received endorsements from Huck PAC and the Fort Lauderdale Young Republicans.
According to filings with the Federal Election Commission, Carbonara’s campaign has reported raising approximately $2.5 million during the 2026 election cycle.