Seventy-six-old political veteran John Burton pledged to lead California Democrats into the future today as he promised to fight the state's two-thirds budget vote rule and defeat a "devious" 2010 open primary initiative.
Burton addressed delegates before he was overwhelmingly elected new state party chair to replace Art Torres, who is retiring after 13 years at the helm.
Burton said he would guide Democratic efforts to get a measure on the ballot to allow state lawmakers to pass a budget with a simple majority vote.
He also said he wanted to defeat "a very devious Louisiana open primary" in a 2010 measure pushed for by Republican lawmaker Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria as a concession for his recent "yes" vote on the budget.
Burton called the measure a veiled attempt by Republicans and the California Chamber of Commerce to make Democrats less competitive in GOP districts.
Burton was heavily favored for election over Chris Finnie, a Democratic activist from Santa Cruz. In her speech to delegates, Finnie vowed to bring "transparency, accountability and a much broader outreach to fundraising."
Burton, the former state Senate president pro-tem, pointed out that "I am younger than Winston Churchill, the last time he was prime minister," and touted his credentials as a skilled organizer.
"Despite the fact that I was either lucky or unlucky enough to hold office, I have been a grass roots Democrat all my life," he said.
Burton was introduced by California Young Democrats president Rocky Fernandez as "someone who knows what it takes to get young voters to the polls."
Renowned for salty language and a quick temper, Burton showed none of that. But his persona was noted in an endorsement from state Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.
"I'm quite certain our next bleeping party chairman will be a bleeping standard-bearer for our bleeping party," O'Connell told delegates.
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