Burton served as a U.S. congressman, state legislator, and later as head of the California Democratic Party. Over the decades, he became a driving force in shaping California politics, mentoring figures such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former Senator Barbara Boxer, and current Senator Alex Padilla.

Governor Gavin Newsom, a former mayor of San Francisco, praised him as “a towering figure” whose decades of public service left a lasting mark. “There was no greater champion for the poor, the bullied, the disabled, and forgotten Californians than John Burton,” Newsom said.

Former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, a lifelong friend and political ally, said Burton’s passing marked the end of a partnership that stretched back to their college days and early years in the California Assembly. “John Burton may have been the best person with whom I served as a member of the legislature,” Brown said.

Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, noted that Burton never shied away from tough fights, believing government worked best when it protected those most in need. “The greatest way to honor John Burton is to keep fighting with the same grit, tenacity, and heart that defined his life,” Hicks said.

Burton’s daughter, Kimiko, remembered him as someone who always insisted on fighting for the underdog. “There are literally millions of people whose lives he helped over the years who have no idea who he is,” she said.

Born on December 15, 1932, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Burton was raised in San Francisco and originally intended to become a history teacher and basketball coach. Instead, inspired by his older brother Phillip, he entered politics and won a California Assembly seat in 1964. A decade later, he moved to Congress, where he worked on legislation to protect wilderness in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and took strong stances against apartheid in South Africa.

He resigned from Congress in 1982 while struggling with a cocaine addiction but soon made a political comeback. By 1988, he was back in the state Assembly, later winning a California Senate seat in 1996 and becoming Senate president. He retired from elected office in 2004 but returned to lead the California Democratic Party from 2009 to 2017.

After stepping away from politics, Burton launched a nonprofit to support foster youth. John Burton Advocates for Youth has since helped pass over 50 laws expanding college financial aid and extending foster care benefits. Burton himself often spoke bluntly about the struggles of young people aging out of the system, once asking, “Emancipated from what? And into what? Into not being able to have a roof over their heads? Into unemployment? Into homelessness? Into jail?”

Barbara Lee, the former congresswoman and current Oakland mayor, said Burton still showed up for her public inauguration in June despite health challenges. “His life’s work reminds us that authentic leadership means having the courage to speak truth to power and never forgetting where you came from,” she said.

Burton is survived by his daughter Kimiko and two grandchildren, Juan and Mikala. A memorial service will be announced later. The family has asked that donations in his honor be made to John Burton Advocates for Youth instead of flowers.