Blab Politics
Ryan LaLonde Seeks Two-Year Term on Alameda Unified School Board, Extending LGBTQ Representation
Ryan LaLonde, the first openly LGBTQ person to hold the presidency of the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) Board of Education, filed to run for a two‑year term that would keep him on the board through 2028. The filing came after he announced that he would not seek a second four‑year term in 2026.
On Thursday, LaLonde submitted his candidacy just as the board confirmed that former member Meleah Hall had resigned in September. Hall’s seat was temporarily filled by Carrie Hahnel, who will run for one of the district’s two full four‑year terms on the November 3 ballot. If no other candidate files by the August 7 deadline, LaLonde will automatically be appointed to serve the remainder of Hall’s term. The board’s decision to allow a truncated term is aimed at preserving LGBTQ representation, as no other LGBTQ residents are expected to run in the fall election.
“I don’t know if I will be challenged,” LaLonde told the Bay Area Reporter this week. He added that he has not heard of any other candidate planning to enter the special election. LaLonde said he would run a full campaign “as if I am going for four years,” but he will step down as board president in December regardless of the outcome. He explained that the two‑year term would give him a “nice transition period” while his son Farber moves to the University of Colorado at Denver for his freshman year.
LaLonde was elected to the board in 2022, becoming the first openly LGBTQ person elected to public office in Alameda. During his tenure he has championed resources for LGBTQ students and families. He secured $50,000 from Alameda County to fund an LGBTQ liaison position for the 2026‑27 school year. The district received a score of 56 on Equality California’s 2024 Safe and Supportive Schools Report Card, placing it in the 95th percentile among California districts.
The district’s 2026 Family Relationships and Trust Survey, released in the fall, showed that families of nonbinary or genderfluid students gave an average score of 3.75 out of 5, slightly lower than the 4.0 average for families of binary students. Families of LGBTQ students reported a confidence level of 68.8 % in teachers and administrators, below the overall 79.1 % confidence rate. LaLonde said the results “have gotten better over the years I have been on the board, but it’s still low and still lower than I want it to be.”
LaLonde said he will launch the truncated term in August if he is contested. He did not rule out running for a full term in 2028 or for a higher office, but he declined to seek the Alameda mayor or city council seats in the upcoming November election. He also confirmed that he will step down as chair of the political action committee for the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club, though he will remain active with the main LGBTQ political club for Alameda County.
The move follows LaLonde’s earlier involvement in ending Scott Means’ candidacy for the city council. Means had been identified as the operator of the X account @Tokhuah, which posted anti‑trans, homophobic, and racist content. After Means resigned from public advisory bodies, LaLonde publicly disclosed the connection, prompting Means to withdraw his campaign.
LaLonde’s decision to seek the truncated term reflects his desire to maintain LGBTQ representation on the AUSD board while balancing personal commitments. The board will confirm whether any other candidates file by the August 7 deadline, after which LaLonde will automatically assume the remainder of Hall’s term. The November 3 election will determine the board’s composition for the next full four‑year cycle.
On Thursday, LaLonde submitted his candidacy just as the board confirmed that former member Meleah Hall had resigned in September. Hall’s seat was temporarily filled by Carrie Hahnel, who will run for one of the district’s two full four‑year terms on the November 3 ballot. If no other candidate files by the August 7 deadline, LaLonde will automatically be appointed to serve the remainder of Hall’s term. The board’s decision to allow a truncated term is aimed at preserving LGBTQ representation, as no other LGBTQ residents are expected to run in the fall election.
“I don’t know if I will be challenged,” LaLonde told the Bay Area Reporter this week. He added that he has not heard of any other candidate planning to enter the special election. LaLonde said he would run a full campaign “as if I am going for four years,” but he will step down as board president in December regardless of the outcome. He explained that the two‑year term would give him a “nice transition period” while his son Farber moves to the University of Colorado at Denver for his freshman year.
LaLonde was elected to the board in 2022, becoming the first openly LGBTQ person elected to public office in Alameda. During his tenure he has championed resources for LGBTQ students and families. He secured $50,000 from Alameda County to fund an LGBTQ liaison position for the 2026‑27 school year. The district received a score of 56 on Equality California’s 2024 Safe and Supportive Schools Report Card, placing it in the 95th percentile among California districts.
The district’s 2026 Family Relationships and Trust Survey, released in the fall, showed that families of nonbinary or genderfluid students gave an average score of 3.75 out of 5, slightly lower than the 4.0 average for families of binary students. Families of LGBTQ students reported a confidence level of 68.8 % in teachers and administrators, below the overall 79.1 % confidence rate. LaLonde said the results “have gotten better over the years I have been on the board, but it’s still low and still lower than I want it to be.”
LaLonde said he will launch the truncated term in August if he is contested. He did not rule out running for a full term in 2028 or for a higher office, but he declined to seek the Alameda mayor or city council seats in the upcoming November election. He also confirmed that he will step down as chair of the political action committee for the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club, though he will remain active with the main LGBTQ political club for Alameda County.
The move follows LaLonde’s earlier involvement in ending Scott Means’ candidacy for the city council. Means had been identified as the operator of the X account @Tokhuah, which posted anti‑trans, homophobic, and racist content. After Means resigned from public advisory bodies, LaLonde publicly disclosed the connection, prompting Means to withdraw his campaign.
LaLonde’s decision to seek the truncated term reflects his desire to maintain LGBTQ representation on the AUSD board while balancing personal commitments. The board will confirm whether any other candidates file by the August 7 deadline, after which LaLonde will automatically assume the remainder of Hall’s term. The November 3 election will determine the board’s composition for the next full four‑year cycle.
