Amidst a lawsuit and mounting criticism on the campaign trail, Representative Eric Swalwell, the leading Democratic candidate for California’s gubernatorial race, asserts that he has maintained a residence in the state for almost nine years while fulfilling his duties in Congress.

However, this claim appears to surprise his neighbors.

Residents of the quiet cul-de-sac in Livermore, where Swalwell claims to have lived since 2017, told The California Post on Wednesday that they have yet to meet the congressman.

“I’ve never seen him,” remarked Gita Prusty, a five-year resident of Michell Court.

Prusty’s home is one of seven on the street where Swalwell asserts his residency, and she is not alone in her unfamiliarity with the congressman. Upon being shown his photo, other neighbors expressed similar bewilderment.

Lauren Antony, 19, who resides just two doors down from Swalwell’s registered address, shared with The Post that she had “never seen” him. When asked how long she has lived on the street, her response was, “All of my life.”

Swalwell has been under fire for his residency claims after a lawsuit filed by a right-wing filmmaker was amplified by progressive billionaire Tom Steyer, who called on the California Secretary of State’s office to investigate.

Ryan Hughes, an attorney for Steyer, argued that Swalwell is a California resident “on paper only” and should be removed from the June primary ballot, as he has not fulfilled the residency requirements to run for statewide office after moving his family to Washington, DC, according to The Sacramento Bee.

Swalwell, a former prosecutor who maintains a license with the State Bar, filed a sworn affidavit under penalty of perjury claiming that he has been a California resident since 2006 and has lived in Livermore since 2017.

Records show he lists his domicile as a home owned by Nicholas and Kristina Mrzywka, the latter of whom is reportedly the sister-in-law of Swalwell’s former political mentor, Tim Sbranti.

Krstina Mrzywka also filed a sworn affidavit claiming that Swalwell and his wife Brittany entered into a lease for the property in June 2017.

“He lives at the property when he is in the East Bay, and keeps significant belongings there at all times,” she wrote.

On Wednesday, no one answered the door at the 1,350-square-foot home owned by the Mrzywkas, and Nicholas Mrzywka quickly hung up when reached by phone.

The outside of the home is more modest than the five-star hotels and boutique inns Swalwell has frequently charged to his campaigns in recent years, including stays in and around his California district.

The home had running shoes strewn across the doorstep, an upside-down container of cottage cheese was left in the yard, and faded patio chairs were placed near the doorstep next to a fire pit table. Behind a chain-linked fence, a dog barked in the home’s backyard.

A woman who has lived next door to the house since 2005 declined to give her name but said she had never seen the congressman until being shown his picture.

A man who left the same home minutes later told The Post, “I’ve never seen that man around.”

Despite Swalwell’s claims that he has lived at the Livermore home, campaign records in recent years show the congressman has spent a significant amount of time and money staying at hotels in and around his congressional district.

Just last year, Swalwell made 19 different charges to his campaign at the luxury hotel Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, according to federal campaign records. Swalwell’s frequent campaigning and rubbing elbows with celebrities led him to miss the most votes of any active member of Congress by the end of last year.

In 2023 and 2024, Swalwell made 24 charges at hotels in San Francisco, mostly staying at the five-star 1 Hotel San Francisco on the Embarcadero as well as the waterfront boutique inn Hotel Griffon.

During that same time period, Swalwell racked up nine different charges at The Rose Hotel in Pleasanton, a luxury boutique inn located less than eight miles from his Livermore home. The congressman also had three charges with the hotel that appear to have been overturned, totaling almost $1,739.

Early in the pandemic in 2021 and 2022, Swalwell also stayed at the Rose Hotel in Pleasanton despite claiming to live in the district, according to campaign records. He also logged charges at the Fairmont Hotel and Hotel Adagio in San Francisco.

Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School, told The Post that the state constitution requires five years of residency in California before an election, and a domicile requires a candidate to have a physical presence and intent to remain or return to the home.

“It looks like there’s a real problem here,” Levinson said when briefed on The Post’s reporting.

“I think there’s an argument that he has not, in fact, complied with the California constitutional requirement that the governor be a resident of the state.”

Swalwell’s campaign declined to answer The Post’s questions about the terms of his lease and why none of his neighbors knew a congressman and leading candidate for California governor had been living on their street for nearly nine years.

Instead, the congressman lashed out on social media in a tweet aimed at Steyer and The Post.

“I receive hundreds of death threats every year,” Swalwell wrote. “My children are not allowed in the yard. That’s why my address is private. And now Tom Steyer has not only put my life at risk but also my family’s by releasing my address.”

Steyer’s campaign declined to comment Wednesday night.

The focus on Swalwell’s residency claims became an issue after right-wing filmmaker Joel Gilbert sued Swalwell in January. Gilbert previously reported Swalwell’s home address in a story in November 2025.

It’s unclear whether California officials intend to investigate Swalwell’s residency issues, as state Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an opinion that the law doesn’t require the Secretary of State to investigate whether a candidate actually lives where they claim.

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