Former Oakland Police Chief Announces Run for City Council

Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong has joined the race for Oakland’s City Council. He’s running for the council’s at-large seat, which Rebecca Kaplan currently holds. Kaplan has held the position since 2008, and whether she plans to run again is unclear.

Catch up fast

Armstrong was raised in West Oakland and appointed police chief in 2021 by former Mayor Libby Schaaf. At the time, he was heralded as a homegrown leader who could bring reform and stability to the long-embattled department. In 2023, he was fired by current Mayor Sheng Thao over his response to an investigation into officer misconduct. An arbiter later largely cleared Armstrong of wrongdoing, and he has since sued the city, alleging he was treated unfairly by the mayor. That case is ongoing.

“If anyone is wrong in any way, they should advocate for themselves and seek vindication. And that’s what I’m doing with my lawsuit,” Armstrong said on Wednesday. “I don’t think that has any impact on my ability to serve the city of Oakland.”

When asked about serving on a council with people who supported his firing, Armstrong said criticism is no stranger for a former police chief.

“It doesn’t bother me to sit next to anybody that is doing what’s right for Oakland,” he said.

What to watch

Thao’s decision to remove Armstrong from the Police Department has become a hot-button topic in the city’s politics. Conflict over the firing nearly imploded the city’s Police Commission, becoming one of the central complaints fueling the effort to recall Mayor Thao.

The effort to recall Thao must submit approximately 25,000 signatures by July to get a recall on the ballot. The number of signatures they submit may be an early sign of how much support Armstrong has in the city.

As for whether he supports the recall?

“I think this is a democratic process where people have a right obviously to engage in recalls if they choose to. That’s not something that I’m involved in,” he said. “But I understand people’s concerns right now.”

The fine print

The race for Kaplan’s seat is getting crowded — Armstrong is the ninth candidate to join in. As former police chief, Armstrong has experience balancing a budget, but where he stands on pressing policy issues, like housing, is less clear. If elected, he said his top priorities will be public safety (no surprise from a lifelong police officer), working with the city’s unhoused residents, and “beautifying the city.”

“I’ve watched so many videos across social media that portrayed this city in such a deplorable way,” he said. “Those images that are out there about the city don’t fairly represent what Oakland is about. So I’m really trying to beautify the city so that the image of it can be what I see, which is a beautiful city that is not like any other city in the state.”

What’s Next: In November, Oakland voters will have the opportunity to reshape the City Council. Kaplan’s seat is one of the five up for election. Councilmember Carrol Fife, who represents West Oakland, is facing some tough competition from candidates who say her housing and public safety policies — as well as her former opposition to the now-scuttled Howard Terminal Project — haven’t served her constituents. On top of that, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas is in the running for a seat on Alameda’s Board of Supervisors. If she wins that race in November, her seat will likely be filled in a special election. If Kaplan, Fife and Bas leave, and are replaced by more moderate candidates, it could mean the loss of the progressive majority on Oakland’s City Council.