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John Burton
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John Burton has been a leading liberal force in government and politics for sixty-seven years. In 1956, he volunteered on his brother, Phillip's, successful campaign for the California Assembly, and he has been active in politics ever since. Mr. Burton won an Assembly seat in 1964, and he held assorted elected offices for thirty-six of the next forty years. He twice served as chairman of the California Democratic Party. In 2004, he founded John Burton Advocates for Youth, a policy and research organization focused on the betterment of young adults who "age out" of the foster care system. As a lawmaker, he authorized the first bill that entitled autistic children access to special education programs in California. He played important roles in promoting early political careers of former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. Ms. Pelosi has described Mr. Burton as "the chief architect of the Democrats' dominance in California." Mr. Burton lives in San Francisco.