John Burton

mtc.ca.gov

Date	Party	Office	Votes	Result
11-03-1964	Democratic	AD-20	24906	Win
11-08-1966	Democratic	AD-20	28307	Win
08-15-1967	Democratic	SD-09	100694	Loss
11-05-1968	Democratic	AD-20	33482	Win
11-03-1970	Democratic	AD-20	26835	Win
11-07-1972	Democratic	AD-20	35156	Win
06-04-1974	Democratic	CD-06	73114	Win
11-05-1974	Democratic	CD-05	88909	Win
11-02-1976	Democratic	CD-05	103746	Win
11-07-1978	Democratic	CD-05	106046	Win
11-04-1980	Democratic	CD-05	101105	Win
04-12-1988	Democratic	AD-16	20908	Win
11-08-1988	Democratic	AD-16	63672	Win
11-06-1990	Democratic	AD-16	57557	Win
11-03-1992	Democratic	AD-12	84924	Win
11-08-1994	Democratic	AD-12	71371	Win
11-05-1996	Democratic	SD-03	215831	Win
11-07-2000	Democratic	SD-03	238372	Win

Candidate Biography:

John L. Burton
Born: December 15, 1932 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Married: Michele
Child: Kimiko Burton-Cruz*
Family: Brother of Phil and brother-in-law of Sala
Military Service: ARMY

1969-1970: President, California Democratic Council
1973-1974: Chair, California Democratic Party
1974: Resigned from the State Assembly on June 25.
1998-2004: President pro Tempore, California State Senate
2004-Present: Chair, John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes
2008: Proponent, Proposition 7 [Renewable Energy Generation] (Failed; 35.1%)
2008: Early Candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2010 (withdrew)
2009-2017: Chair, California Democratic Party
2012: Opponent, Proposition 32 [Political Contributions by Payroll Deduction] (Failed; 43.9%)
2016: Delegate, Democratic National Convention

• LEGISLATION: Author of SB 1148 (1999) which prohibits the governing documents of a common-interest housing development, such as a condominium complex, from including covenants that restrict access to the development to persons based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, marital status, disability, national origin, or ancestry. [Chapter 589/Statutes of 1999]
• LEGISLATION: Author of 1974 bill that created the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
• LEGISLATION: Principal Coauthor of SB 400 (1999) [with Deborah Ortiz] which created new Public Employee Retirement System pension formula allowing a retirement benefit factor of 2% at age 55 increasing to 2.5% at age 63 and above. These more generous pension plans have resulted in a massive unfunded liability for CALPERS that is now (in 2012) estimated at $85 billion. (Chapt. 555, Stats of 1999)
• LEGISLATION: Author of SB1x 31 (2001) Authorized the sale of $13 billion in bonds to pay the high electricity costs that resulted from the energy deregulation.
• From Burton's biography in the 1971 Blue Book: "Dedicated to achieving a world of human dignity, social justice, and lasting peace."
• In 1965, Burton was the target of an attempted recall led by John Carney. The recall failed to qualify for the ballot. 
• QUOTEABLE: [Regarding the retirement of US Senator Dianne Feinstein] "She  got shit done by working with people on both sides of the aisle and refusing to get caught up in unnecessary nonsense. To those lining up to run for her seat, I hope you honor the fact that this powerful lady blazed the trail for you"
  Source: Jeremy B. White on Twitter (@JeremyBWhite) 2:20 PM · Feb 14, 2023
• PLACENAME: At the State Capitol, Room 4203 has been named the John L. Burton Hearing Room.
• PLACENAME: The John L. Burton Democratic Headquarters are the offices and workspace of the California Democratic Party in Sacramento.
• PLACENAME: The Sloat Boulevard portion of State Highway 35 in San Francisco has been designated as the John Burton Highway (SCR 93 of 2012).
• Kimiko Burton was the San Francisco Public Defender (2001-2002), and a member of the State Personnel Board (2012-Present) and a Delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Source: California Blue Book (1971), (2000)
Source: California Legislature Handbook (1991-92)