Len Raphael for Oakland City Council

I’m a long-time Oakland resident, born and bred in Brooklyn, NY. When not occupying administrative buildings and protesting the Vietnam War, I studied sociology at Columbia and later earned accounting/tax degrees from Alameda JC, Berkeley, and GGU. Between Columbia and Alameda JC, I owned a used bicycle shop, “Cycle Recycle,” and later operated an auto repair shop on 40th and Webster with three friends, Car World. The night of our opening, all of our equipment was stolen.

I’ve lived in the Fruitvale, at the top of Panoramic Way, and for the last 38 years in Temescal.

After working at Price Waterhouse and Deloitte, I opened my accounting practice in Oakland, specializing in small to medium-sized tech businesses as CPA.COM

My commitment to civic engagement spans from the neighborhood to the city-wide level. I have served as the former Treasurer of Temple Beth Abraham, managed a youth soccer team at Bushrod, held the position of Alameda Contra Costa Youth Soccer League Treasurer, co-founded the short-lived SaferTemescal unarmed private patrol, managed another resident's City Council race in 2018,  ran for District 1 City Council in 2012, and for City Auditor in 2014. I was endorsed by the local Democratic caucus, with the endorsement withdrawn by the County Democratic Central Committee because of objections by the Firefighters and the Police unions. The Firefighters told me they did not want an Auditor whose platform included starting a public discussion about how to fund retirement obligations one second before they had to be paid because the voters would go nuts. The Police didn’t want an accountability advocate in public office and an auditor skeptical of their high soft tissue disability claims. In 2016, I ran for a seat on the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee as a Bernie Bro.

I was treasurer of the Coalition for Police Accountability from its inception in 2016 to January 2024. I worked to get Measure LL, which established the Police Commission, passed. I also advocated for the passage of MACRO.

Member of the Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club.

I am an activist in both the DA Price Recall and the Mayor Thao Recall. I'm proud to have been named in the PEC's misbegotten subpoena, which put the investigation of the mayoral recall ahead of four-year-old allegations against Mayor Thao and other council members.

My spouse, Betty, was born at Kaiser Oakland. She’s a retired RN and long-time CNA member who walked the picket lines.

Our sons attended Claremont Middle School and graduated from Tech, where they played football. Team members often came to our home for lunch. Both graduated from West Point and served in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9-11.

When our younger son was stationed near Abu Gharib I sent him news articles about Oakland, including violence in East O. He replied that his part of Iraq was safer.