In 1990, California voters approved Proposition 140 — which imposed term limits on members of the California assembly and senate. It was ostensibly to return to a citizen legislature closer the people, but in reality, voters outside his San Francisco district wanted Assembly Speaker Willie Brown out, and this was the only way to do it.
Twenty eight years later, California still has term limits, but Willie Brown’s political machine has never been more powerful. This is Willie Brown’s world — you just live here.
While it’s true that Brown is no longer in elected office and is currently 84 years of age, his proteges have their hands firmly on the levers of power, both nationally and in California.
Let’s look at four of his top apprentices: the ex-girlfriend, the right hand, the baby sitter and the sommelier.
The “ex-girlfriend” is California Senator Kamala Harris.
According to the San Francisco Weekly, Harris and Brown met in 1994 when he was speaker of the state Assembly. He was 60, she was 29.
Prior to her running for office, Brown appointed Harris to two patronage positions in state government, the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the California Medical Assistance Commission. These positions paid handsomely, more than $400,000 over five years.
At one point Brown and Harris were the talk of the town.
Right before Brown was sworn in as Mayor of San Francisco, legendary San Francisco columnist Herb Caen implied that the self described “Ayatollah of the Assembly” and “a girlfriend” would soon get married. In his book, “Basic Brown,” Brown quoted his wife Blanche as responding to the column by saying, “Listen, she may have him at the moment, but come inauguration day and he’s up there on the platform being sworn in, I’ll be the b***h holding the Bible.”
The couple broke up, but the friendship and political alliance remained.
In 2003, Harris decided to run for district attorney of the city and county of San Francisco. Brown assisted this campaign by raising money on her behalf and introducing her to deep-pocketed donors.
Brown also supported Harris when she successfully ran for attorney general of California and the U.S. Senate in 2016.
Now Harris is a leading contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Brown’s “right hand” is California Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
Brown met Waters not long before she ran for the Assembly in 1976. After her election, Waters ascended to the position of Democratic Caucus chair and became a trusted confidante of Speaker Brown.
In the 1993 documentary “Willie Brown,” Waters said, “When I decided to run … he was one of the first persons I went to Sacramento to try to get his support … Willie Brown and I became very close friends.”
Waters described their relationship by saying, “Willie Brown and I became a team … I was proud to help make Willie Brown speaker.”
Now Congresswoman Waters is one of President Trump’s leading critics and if the Democrats win back control of the House of Representatives, will likely become the chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee.
And then, we have “the baby-sitter,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who used to babysit Brown’s kids.
Their connection persisted through the years and when Brown was elected mayor, Breed was given an internship in the Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services.
In 2004, Breed was named to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Commission, and in 2012 won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors — where she was sworn in by then-California Attorney General Harris.
After the death of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee in 2017, Breed succeeded him — with substantial support from Willie Brown.
Now, Breed is eligible to serve the greater part of a decade as mayor of San Francisco.
And finally, we have “sommelier,” California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In 1996, Brown appointed Newsom to the Parking and Traffic Commission, and then in 1997 elevated him to a vacant seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors — telling the San Francisco Chronicle that he valued Newsom’s “easy familiarity with San Francisco’s upper crust.”
In a 2017 interview above his San Francisco wine shop, Newsom conceded he wouldn’t be in politics without Brown and former California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton, telling the Sacramento Bee, “I hopefully would be with the Wine Spectator today; not you … I would never be in politics. But they took a risk on me. And I know Willie wouldn’t have done it unless John encouraged him.”
Now, Newsom is the favorite to be the next governor of California, and is poised to be a future Democratic presidential nominee.
Term limits or not, Willie Brown doesn’t have time to be in elected office any more — he’s too busy running the most successful political machine in the nation.
Editor’s note: This story was updated from an earlier version.
John Phillips can be heard weekdays at 3 p.m. on “The Drive Home with Jillian Barberie and John Phillips” on KABC/AM 790.
