 At the 1908 general election he contested the parliamentary seat of Ohinemuri as an independent labour candidate, finishing last of five candidates.Owing to his newfound radicalisation, Armstrong was dismissed from his mining job in Waihi and he and his family were forced to leave the area, settling at the coal mining town of Runanga on the West Coast.He found another mining job soon after and later became the secretary of the West Coast Workers' Union.