Self-Styled ‘Grass-Roots Representative’ : Pryor Enters Long Beach Mayoral Race

Billing herself as “the grass-roots representative,” community activist Luanne Pryor kicked off her campaign for mayor last week.

Pryor said she has raised close to $10,000, including money from a fund-raiser Wednesday with about 125 people.

Long Beach will elect its first full-time mayor next spring, under a change in the city’s charter that was approved by voters last year. Among those already in the race are Mayor Ernie Kell and Councilwoman Jan Hall.

Pryor said she is not accepting donations from real estate developers. She said she expects her support to come from “a grass-roots level,” including those people concerned about overdevelopment in the neighborhoods and traffic and parking congestion.

As part of her platform, Pryor said she supports campaign finance reform to set limits on how much a candidate can receive from contributors.

Pryor, 58, is president of the 500-member Beach Area Concerned Citizens, and she is involved in numerous environmental and women’s groups, as well as city task forces and other local organizations. Her activities include membership in committees which planned the shoreline of Long Beach, the beach bicycle path and set guidelines for the city in the year 2000. She said this is her first bid for elective office.

In addition to 15 years of community involvement, Pryor said she has 25 years of experience as a professional in finance and economics. The owner of a public relations firm, Pryor graduated from California State University, Long Beach, in 1971 with a degree in English. In 1984, she received a master’s degree in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University.