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John Burton’s Legacy: California’s Leftward Architect
Over the weekend, longtime Democratic power broker John Burton passed away at the age of 91. If you follow California politics, you know his name. Burton was a giant in the Democratic machine: a congressman, state assemblyman, state senator, senate president, and chairman of the California Democratic Party—twice. He was also one of the most unapologetically liberal politicians this state has ever produced.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Burton cut his teeth as an anti–Vietnam War activist before following his brother Phil into politics. He served in Congress, where his career was interrupted by drug abuse and personal scandals, only to return years later for a remarkable second act. Burton rose to the presidency of the California State Senate, and later, in retirement, helmed the state Democratic Party once again. His blunt, foul-mouthed style was legendary; he was as known for his middle finger as for his legislative maneuvers.
Much of the media coverage since his passing has focused on his “colorful personality” and his reputation for keeping his word. Even some conservatives who served alongside him have emphasized those traits, while setting aside the substance of his politics. But to do that is to miss the real story.
John Burton wasn’t just a personality. He was a policymaker. And the policies he pushed and the movement he built made California worse.
Burton was a champion of big government in every sense. Under his watch, taxes went up, regulations multiplied, and spending ballooned. He was instrumental in empowering the public employee unions that dominate Sacramento to this day. He pushed a politics of division—pitting Californians into groups and identities instead of fostering a unifying civic culture. His philosophy was rooted not in individual liberty and responsibility but in collectivism and redistribution.
The results are plain. California today is a state where government bureaucracy thrives while ordinary families struggle under the weight of high taxes, stifling regulations, and the crushing influence of special interests. Burton’s fingerprints are all over that outcome.
None of this is to celebrate his passing. My prayers are with his family, and may he rest in peace. But honesty requires that we not let tributes to his personality overshadow the damage he did as a public official. The legacy he leaves behind is not one of prosperity, freedom, or unity—but of a state more beholden to government and less friendly to liberty.
That is John Burton’s real legacy. Which would not want to get lost in all of the effort to make him sound like someone whose legacy was positive.
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