John Lowell Burton (born December 15, 1932) is an American politician and attorney. He served as Chairman of the California Democratic Party from April 2009 until May 2017. A professor of California Politics at San Francisco State University, he served in the California State Assembly (1965–74), in the U.S. House of Representatives (1974–1983), in the State Assembly again (1988–1996), and in the California State Senate (1996–2004) (representing the 3rd district). He was appointed to the San Francisco Port Commission in October 2020.