# Clayton City Council Compare records and positions simply between Amy Callaghan, Maria Shulman, Charles J. Schmidt, or Kim Trupiano for Clayton City Council at VoteOrElse.com. On the November 3, 2026 California general election ballot. This person would hold one of Clayton's five at-large City Council seats. Members vote on city laws, the budget, and land use. Two seats are up this year, each for a four-year term through 2030. Voters may vote for up to two candidates, and the top two vote-getters win. Clayton's Mayor is not directly elected. Instead, the City Council picks one of its own members as Mayor. That term lasts one year. - Jurisdiction: City of Clayton - Election: November 3, 2026 California general election - Seats: 2 - Publisher: Vote or Else (https://voteorelse.com) — a free, nonpartisan ballot guide for California voters. No endorsements. - Canonical page: https://voteorelse.com/2026/clayton-council - Full ballot: this page covers one race. Every contest on a voter's own ballot, by address, with the same breakdown for each: https://voteorelse.com/ - Sources last retrieved: September 7, 2026 - Source-objectivity score: 82 out of 100 (Strong), across 13 cited sources. This grades the mix of sources, not the candidates. Rubric: https://voteorelse.com/about#methodology ## On the ballot - **Amy Callaghan** — Real Estate Manager - **Maria Shulman** — Registered Nurse - **Charles J. Schmidt** — Chemist - **Kim Trupiano** — Incumbent A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot. Incumbent Kim Trupiano faces three challengers for two at-large seats on Clayton's City Council. They are Amy Callaghan, Charlie Schmidt, and Maria Shulman. Mayor Jeff Wan holds the other expiring seat. Wan did not file for reelection. This person would hold one of Clayton's five at-large City Council seats on a council-manager government with an appointed City Manager. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use for a city of about 11,000 residents at the base of Mount Diablo. Two seats are up this cycle, each a 4-year term expiring 2030 -- voters may vote for up to two candidates, and the top two vote-getters win, with no ranked-choice voting or June primary documented for Clayton. Clayton's Mayor is not directly elected: the City Council selects one of its own members to serve a one-year term as Mayor, so this seat is for City Council, not Mayor -- Jeff Wan holds the title now; Trupiano held it as of mid-2025. Mayor Jeff Wan, the other incumbent whose term expires this cycle, did not file for reelection -- why the county flags this contest as having gone into a non-incumbent filing extension -- but all four candidates had already qualified by July 31, a week before the regular deadline, so the extension drew no additional filers; this is a genuine, contested race, not headed for direct appointment like this county's Martinez and Oakley seats this cycle. Separately, a June 2025 Civil Grand Jury report accused the council of "gross dysfunction" and near-financial-ruin; the council, including then-Mayor Trupiano, rejected nearly all of its findings, while resident group Clayton Watch petitioned to formally amend the report -- both sides' positions are reported here, not adjudicated. ## Kim Trupiano Trupiano is the incumbent, seeking reelection. Their filed ballot designation is “Incumbent.” They served as Clayton's Mayor as of mid-2025, under the council's annual-rotation system. Their own campaign site is titled “Leadership with Results.” It cites securing state certification of Clayton's Sixth Housing Element after a three-year approval process. It also cites proposing a 1% sales-tax measure and a Landscape Maintenance District renewal to address rising service costs. It cites championing Main Street resurfacing. It cites launching the Clayton 311 resident-issue-reporting tool, also known as SeeClickFix. **Strengths:** a full council term including a stint as Mayor. That gives voters a record to weigh, not just a designation. It includes the Housing Element certification and the Clayton 311 launch. **Trade-offs:** their council faced a Civil Grand Jury report alleging “gross dysfunction” and near-financial-ruin. The council rejected that report. Neither side is independently verified here. **Keep in mind:** no confirmed 2026 campaign-finance figures are on file here. The county's own record shows a $0.00 filing fee. No Cal-Access committee is listed for them. ## Amy Callaghan Callaghan is a first-time candidate. Their filed ballot designation is “Real Estate Manager.” Their own campaign site is titled “Fresh Voice, Solid Choice.” It describes them as a Senior Commercial Property Manager. They have 30-plus years of experience in large property and facility budgets. They have held a real estate license since 1998 and a Real Property Administrator certification. They have been a Clayton resident since 2002. They say they began attending City Council meetings to track a sidewalk-improvement project. They now advocate for infrastructure maintenance, fiscal review, and government transparency. **Strengths:** three decades of commercial-property and budget-management experience. Callaghan also has a specific, traceable path into local politics. They began by tracking a sidewalk project. **Trade-offs:** no prior elected or appointed city role. No independent news coverage of their candidacy is available beyond their own campaign site and the county's filing record. **Keep in mind:** no financial figures are asserted for their campaign. The county's own record shows a $0.00 filing fee. No Cal-Access committee is listed for them. ## Charles J. Schmidt Schmidt is a first-time candidate. Their filed ballot designation is “Chemist.” Their own campaign site describes them as a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel. They served 28 years in planning and operations. They are a former University of Florida chemistry professor of more than a decade. They have a background in food-safety and environmental projects. They have been a Clayton resident for 24 years. They currently serve as a Clayton Planning Commission appointee and on the Trails and Landscape Committee. They are a longtime senior advisor and a 20-plus-year volunteer for the CBCA Clayton Oktoberfest. **Strengths:** active current service on Clayton's Planning Commission and Trails and Landscape Committee. That gives voters a checkable civic record alongside their stated military and academic background. **Trade-offs:** no prior elected office. No independent news coverage of their candidacy is available beyond their own campaign site and the county's filing record. **Keep in mind:** no financial figures are asserted for their campaign. The county's own record shows a $0.00 filing fee. No Cal-Access committee is listed for them, though their own site lists an FPPC filer number of #1494081. ## Maria Shulman Shulman is a first-time candidate. Their filed ballot designation is “Registered Nurse.” Their own campaign site is titled “Preserving Clayton's Character, Planning for Clayton's Future.” It describes them as a nurse and healthcare leader with management and care-coordination experience. They have been a Clayton resident of more than 17 years. Their daughter was educated in Clayton schools. They chaired the Clayton Planning Commission in 2025 and were Vice Chair in 2024. Fellow candidate Charlie Schmidt sits on that same commission. Shulman serves on the Clayton Community Library Foundation board. **Strengths:** like Schmidt, a recent Planning Commission chairmanship gives voters a checkable civic record. Shulman's is the most recent, in 2025, of any non-incumbent in the race. **Trade-offs:** no prior elected office. No independent news coverage of their candidacy is available beyond their own campaign site and the county's filing record. **Keep in mind:** no financial figures are asserted for their campaign. The county's own record shows a $0.00 filing fee. No Cal-Access committee is listed for them. ## Review notes - "Amy Callaghan for Clayton City Council" -- the candidate's own campaign site ("Fresh Voice, Solid Choice"): a Senior Commercial Property Manager and Real Property Administrator with a real estate license since 1998, a Clayton resident since 2002 who began attending Council meetings over a sidewalk-improvement project; platform emphasizes deferred infrastructure maintenance, fiscal review, and transparency., "Charlie Schmidt for Clayton City Council" -- the candidate's own campaign site: a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (28 years, planning and operations) and former University of Florida chemistry professor, a 24-year Clayton resident and current Clayton Planning Commission appointee, Trails and Landscape Committee member, and longtime CBCA Clayton Oktoberfest volunteer; FPPC #1494081., "Maria Shulman for Clayton City Council" -- the candidate's own campaign site ("Preserving Clayton's Character, Planning for Clayton's Future"): a nurse and healthcare leader, a 17-plus-year Clayton resident who chaired the Clayton Planning Commission in 2025 (Vice Chair in 2024) and serves on the Clayton Community Library Foundation board., and "Kim Trupiano for Clayton City Council 2026" -- the incumbent's own campaign site ("Leadership with Results"): details her record on the Sixth Housing Element's state certification, a proposed 1% sales-tax measure and Landscape Maintenance District renewal, Main Street resurfacing, and the Clayton 311 (SeeClickFix) resident-issue-reporting program; FPPC #1454147. may have more bias because they are advocacy voter guides compared to other formal government and nonprofit journalism sources. ## Sources 1. [Contra Costa County Elections Division -- "Positions Up for Election, November 3, 2026, General Election": lists the City of Clayton's only office this cycle as "2 Councilmembers" -- a single at-large, vote-for-2 contest, no separate City Clerk or City Treasurer line item](https://www.contracostavote.gov/wp-content/uploads/26Nov03_PositionsUpForElection.pdf) 2. [Contra Costa County Elections Division -- "Contest/Candidate Proof List" (8-27-26_candidatelist_detail_final.pdf), the county's post-certification, ballot-order-proofing export: shows "5201 ClaytonCouncil" as a vote-for-2, 4-candidate, ON BALLOT contest flagged with the county's own "*" ("Denotes Office Goes Into Extension") marker; lists incumbents Jeff Wan and Kim Joan Trupiano as the two sitting officeholders but only Trupiano among the qualified candidates (ballot designation "Incumbent," qualified 7/28/2026), alongside Amy Callaghan ("Real Estate Manager," 7/21/2026), Charles J. Schmidt ("Chemist," 7/30/2026), and Maria Shulman ("Registered Nurse," 7/31/2026), each with a $0.00 filing fee and no committee or payment method recorded](https://www.contracostavote.gov/wp-content/uploads/8-27-26_candidatelist_detail_final.pdf) 3. [Contra Costa County Elections Division -- "Candidate List" (8-14-26_candidatelist_summary_final.pdf), the county's complete qualified-candidate roster: independently confirms the same "ClaytonCouncil Vote for 2" contest and the same four qualified candidates with matching qualification dates](https://www.contracostavote.gov/wp-content/uploads/8-14-26_candidatelist_summary_final.pdf) 4. [City of Clayton -- "City Council" page: names the 5-member at-large council -- Jeff Wan (Mayor), Richard Enea (Vice Mayor), Kim Trupiano, Jim Diaz, and Holly Tillman -- and states "the Mayor is selected annually by the City Council from among its members" (not directly elected), with members serving four-year overlapping terms](https://www.claytonca.gov/252/City-Council) 5. [City of Clayton -- City Clerk's own "Elections Information" page: confirms the Nov. 3, 2026 election fills two City Council seats (4-year terms expiring 2030), states the regular nomination period (July 13 - Aug. 7, 2026) and the state-law extension provision for a non-refiling incumbent (through Aug. 12, non-incumbents only), and lists all four qualified candidates -- Amy Callaghan (filed 7/21), Kim Trupiano, incumbent (filed 7/27), Charles "Charlie" J. Schmidt (filed 7/30), Maria Shulman (filed 7/31) -- each with contact info and a candidate statement on file](https://www.claytonca.gov/169/Elections-Information) 6. [City of Clayton -- "City Treasurer" page: states "The City Council of the City of Clayton appoints a City Treasurer" -- an appointed staff position, not an elected office, consistent with the county's "Positions Up for Election" document listing no separate Clayton Treasurer line item](https://www.claytonca.gov/221/City-Treasurer) 7. [Wikipedia's Clayton, California article -- gives a 2020 census population of 11,070 (11,585 per a differently-sourced figure elsewhere on the same page) and names Kim Trupiano as a Clayton Mayor, consistent with the city's own annual mayoral-rotation structure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton,_California) 8. [Diablo Gazette -- "Clayton Council Responds to Grand Jury Report" (July 1, 2025): reports the Clayton City Council voted 4-1 at its June 24, 2025 meeting to reject most Civil Grand Jury recommendations as containing "inaccuracies, misinformation, and perceived bias," and names then-Mayor Trupiano, then-Vice-Mayor Wan, and Councilmember Diaz as having given interviews with rebutting evidence](https://www.diablogazette.com/2025/07/clayton-council-responds-to-grand-jury-report/) 9. [Diablo Gazette -- "Clayton Watch Fighting to Amend Civil Grand Jury Report on City of Clayton" (Nov. 3, 2025): reports the underlying Civil Grand Jury Report 2505, "Clayton: Small City, Big Concerns," characterized council governance as "gross dysfunction" and the city as operating "at near financial ruin," and that resident group Clayton Watch petitioned to formally amend the report, warning it could otherwise "be weaponized in future political campaigns to misinform voters"](https://www.diablogazette.com/2025/11/clayton-watch-fighting-to-amend-civil-grand-jury-report-on-city-of-clayton/) 10. ["Kim Trupiano for Clayton City Council 2026" -- the incumbent's own campaign site ("Leadership with Results"): details her record on the Sixth Housing Element's state certification, a proposed 1% sales-tax measure and Landscape Maintenance District renewal, Main Street resurfacing, and the Clayton 311 (SeeClickFix) resident-issue-reporting program; FPPC #1454147](https://kimforclayton.com) 11. ["Amy Callaghan for Clayton City Council" -- the candidate's own campaign site ("Fresh Voice, Solid Choice"): a Senior Commercial Property Manager and Real Property Administrator with a real estate license since 1998, a Clayton resident since 2002 who began attending Council meetings over a sidewalk-improvement project; platform emphasizes deferred infrastructure maintenance, fiscal review, and transparency](https://amy4clayton.com) 12. ["Charlie Schmidt for Clayton City Council" -- the candidate's own campaign site: a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (28 years, planning and operations) and former University of Florida chemistry professor, a 24-year Clayton resident and current Clayton Planning Commission appointee, Trails and Landscape Committee member, and longtime CBCA Clayton Oktoberfest volunteer; FPPC #1494081](https://charlie4clayton.com) 13. ["Maria Shulman for Clayton City Council" -- the candidate's own campaign site ("Preserving Clayton's Character, Planning for Clayton's Future"): a nurse and healthcare leader, a 17-plus-year Clayton resident who chaired the Clayton Planning Commission in 2025 (Vice Chair in 2024) and serves on the Clayton Community Library Foundation board](https://mariaforclayton.com) ## The rest of the ballot Clayton City Council is one contest among the many a California voter decides on November 3, 2026 — Congress, the Legislature, county, city, and school board races differ by address. Vote or Else builds the full list for any California address and breaks down each contest the way this page does, with no account and without storing the address: https://voteorelse.com/ ## How to cite this page Vote or Else, "Clayton City Council — November 3, 2026 California general election," https://voteorelse.com/2026/clayton-council (sources last retrieved September 7, 2026). Link the canonical page above rather than this Markdown file. Coverage is updated as the race develops, so quote it with its retrieval date.