Grass Valley City Council Election: Wright Suspends Campaign; Endorses Peevey

On September 18, Paul Wright announced that he was suspending his campaign for Grass Valley City Council in the 2026 General Election. Wright is a Grass Valley resident who was running on a platform of “transparent, accountable leadership that put residents first.” He was a United States Air Force intelligence analyst and defense contractor who was “trained to evaluate facts, challenge outdated assumptions, communicate clearly, and provide decision-makers with objective analysis under pressure.” He said he aimed to bring the same disciplined approach to the Grass Valley City Council. 

One change he had hoped to make was return City Hall to reliable hours of operation, Monday through Friday. Currently, City Hall struggles to provide consistent service all five week days, and Wright argues that he would like to see service return to dependable Monday-through-Friday, 8-am-to-5-pm service. 

Wright’s proposal to make basic services more reliable has been a common theme in public discussion as questions about how the city manages and delivers its services has been a part of the larger 2026 campaign conversation. 

After suspending his campaign, Wright specifically endorsed Edward Peevey, also running for City Council. Edward Peevey worked with at-risk youth, supervising juvenile detainees, developing rehabilitation plans, and coordinating with the courts. He also served as an investigator for the Superior Court, evaluating inmates for drug treatment programs. He chaired the Nevada County Drug Advisory Board and helped advise the county on drug treatment services. Peevey’s platform involves helping the City of Grass Valley address problems of homelessness and drug abuse, developing strategic wildfire mitigation, and improving city infrastructure. 

Wright made a public statement about his campaign to let voters know that although he is on the ballot, he is not actively seeking votes. He wrote: 

“All concerned,

After careful consideration, I have decided to suspend my campaign for Grass Valley City Council and endorse Ed Peavy.

I want to sincerely thank the Nevada County Republican Party for the faith and confidence they placed in me with their endorsement. As I suspend my campaign, I am releasing them from that endorsement and am grateful for the support they have shown me.

Most importantly, I will always stand with the people of Grass Valley who call this beautiful place home. This community means a great deal to me, and my commitment to serving it does not end with this campaign.

I hope to have the opportunity to run again in 2028, and when that time comes, I look forward to once again earning the trust and support of our community.

For now, I am proud to endorse Ed Peevey and wish him the very best as he continues his campaign.

Thank you to everyone who supported me, encouraged me, and believed in what we were trying to accomplish. I am deeply grateful.

Regards,

Paul Wright

Former Grass Valley City Council Candidate

Ph: 530-798-8751”

This statement comes just over two weeks before in-person voting starts and mail-in ballots are expected to drop. Election day is November 3, 2026. 

Wright will still appear on the ballot: this statement came after the candidate filing/withdrawal period, so suspending the campaign will not remove Wright’s name from the ballot. Nevada County Elections finalized the list of qualified local candidates on August 13, listing Wright as one of four candidates for the two Grass Valley City Council seats.

Wright’s decision changes the dynamics of what began as a four-person race for two seats on the Grass Valley City Council. 

There are three remaining candidates with active campaigns: Edward Peevey (as mentioned), as well as Scott Beesley and Bob Branstrom. There are two seats that are open in this election, so the top two vote-getters of this Grass Valley City Council election will win those two open seats. 

The two seats being decided are elected at large, meaning candidates are elected by voters citywide rather than from individual council districts. Voters may select up to two candidates (meaning they can vote for zero, one, or two candidates). 

Both incumbents, Haven Caravelli and Hilary Hodge, are not running for re-election. The remaining three city councilors, elected in 2024, will serve through 2028: Jan Arbuckle, Joe Bonomolo, and Tom Ivy. 

Important to note is that Wright indicated that he might run again in 2028, when the terms currently held by Arbuckle, Bonomolo, and Ivy are scheduled to expire.