Oakland’s former top cop LeRonne Armstrong to run for city council

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong announced Wednesday he will run for the Oakland City Council in the November 2024 election.

Armstrong, who was fired as police chief by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao in February 2023, filed his paperwork with the city clerk’s office Wednesday morning to run for the at-large seat on the city council.

“Armstrong, a West Oakland native and 24-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department, is filing his candidacy to run for Oakland City Council At-Large,” a news release said. “As the City of Oakland struggles with increasing crime and a looming budget deficit, Armstrong has stepped up to continue to serve the residents and businesses he knows and loves.”

Oakland Ballers win first-ever game

There are eight other candidates who have previously filed to run for the at-large city councilmember seat currently held by Rebecca Kaplan, according to the city’s municipal election webpage. These candidates include Rowena Brown, Tonya Love, Kanitha Matoury, Mindy Pechenuk, Fabian Robinson, Selika Thomas, Cristina Tosado and Charlene Wang. It is unclear at this point if Kaplan plans to try and keep her seat on the council.

Armstrong believes his experience as police chief qualifies him to sit on the council. “As our city experiences obviously dramatic increases in violence, budget issues, homeless issues, I think it’s important that I bring my leadership to the table,” Armstrong said.

At the time Armstrong was fired by the mayor, the official reason for dismissal given was connected to a report alleging the former top cop mishandled two misconduct incidents within the Oakland Police Department. An arbitrator would later clear Armstrong of any wrongdoing.

Armstrong filed a lawsuit against the City of Oakland and Mayor Thao in February 2024, alleging that the firing was illegal.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.