John Burton dies California liberal Democrat.

Former U.S. Rep. John Burton has died at age 92. Burton was a salty-tongued and unabashedly liberal San Francisco Democrat who stood up for the working class, children, and people who could not speak for themselves. He mentored countless politicians, including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla. Burton died Sunday after being in ill health for years. He was elected to the state Assembly and then to Congress, but opted against reelection in 1982 to address a cocaine addiction. He returned to politics in 1988, serving in the state Legislature until 2004, and headed up the California Democratic Party from 2009 to 2017.