If you walk into Le Central in San Francisco on a Friday afternoon, you might still catch a glimpse of the man who basically ran California for decades. He’s 91 now. The suits are still Brioni. The hats? Impeccable. Willie L Brown Jr isn't just a former mayor or a retired speaker; he is the last of a breed of politicians who could hold a room, a city, and a state in the palm of his hand through sheer force of personality and tactical genius.
Most people know him as the guy who dated Kamala Harris or the "Ayatollah of the Assembly." But that’s a shallow way to look at a career that spanned seven governors and fundamentally reshaped how power works in the West. He was the first Black Speaker of the California State Assembly and the first Black Mayor of San Francisco. He didn't just break glass ceilings; he rebuilt the whole building.
Born in Mineola, Texas, in 1934, Brown grew up in a world of harsh segregation where black voters were routinely intimidated by mobs. He arrived in San Francisco at 17 with nothing but a dream to attend Stanford. He didn't get into Stanford. Instead, he went to San Francisco State and then UC Hastings Law, where he became the class president. He started out defending the people no one else would touch—pimps, bookies, and prostitutes. It was in those gritty courtrooms that he learned how to read people, a skill that would eventually make him the most powerful man in Sacramento.
Why Willie L Brown Jr Still Matters in 2026
You can’t understand modern California without understanding the "Willie Brown era." He served as Speaker for 14 and a half years. That is a record that will never be broken because they literally changed the law to stop him. Proposition 140, which established term limits in California, was essentially a "Get Rid of Willie Brown" initiative.
People hated how much power he had. Honestly, it was kind of terrifying to his opponents. He could kill a bill with a look or fund an entire campaign cycle with one phone call to his donor network. He raised an estimated $75 million for fellow Democrats during his tenure. That kind of leverage meant that even Republican governors like Pete Wilson had to come to the table. Remember the 64-day budget standoff in 1990? The state was issuing IOUs, but Brown didn't blink. He knew the leverage was on his side.
He was a master of the "juice." In political slang, juice is the ability to get things done.
📖 Related: The Galveston Hurricane 1900 Orphanage Story Is More Tragic Than You Realized
The Architect of Modern San Francisco
When he became Mayor in 1996, San Francisco was a different place. He presided over the dot-com boom. He pushed for the Mission Bay biotech complex and the construction of the Giants' ballpark (now Oracle Park). He basically spruced up the Embarcadero and turned it into the tourist and tech hub it is today.
But it wasn't all ticker-tape parades. His administration was dogged by accusations of cronyism. The FBI spent five years sniffing around City Hall. People complained he was too cozy with developers. Brown’s response was usually some variation of "I'm just being effective." He never faced an indictment, and he often joked that the investigations were just a sign that he was actually doing something.
He had this way of making the controversial seem inevitable. He once called himself the "King Kong of California politics." It wasn't just ego; it was a brand.
The Patronage Machine and the Protégés
If you look at the top of the Democratic ticket or the Governor’s mansion today, you see his fingerprints.
- Gavin Newsom: Brown appointed him to the Parking and Traffic Commission, then the Board of Supervisors.
- Kamala Harris: He appointed her to two state commissions early in her career and supported her run for District Attorney.
- London Breed: Another protégé who climbed the ranks under the shadow of his influence.
Critics call it a "machine." Supporters call it mentorship. Brown himself has always been candid about it. He told the San Francisco Chronicle years ago that yes, he helped them, just like he helped dozens of others. To him, politics is a game of relationships and loyalty. If you weren't loyal, you were out. Simple as that.
👉 See also: Why the Air France Crash Toronto Miracle Still Changes How We Fly
Living with Retinitis Pigmentosa
One thing that doesn’t get enough play in the mainstream narrative is his health. While he was Speaker, Brown was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). It’s a degenerative eye disease that slowly destroys peripheral vision. By the time he was Mayor, he was legally blind in many respects.
Think about that.
The man who was known for "working the room" and recognizing every face in a crowded hall couldn't actually see most of the people there. He had to train his brain to listen more intently. He used security detail to whisper names in his ear as people approached. He memorized vast amounts of information because reading memos became a chore. It’s a testament to his mental sharpess that most people never even realized he was struggling with his sight.
What Really Happened with the "Ayatollah" Moniker?
The nickname was meant as an insult by his detractors in the early 80s, suggesting he was a religious-like dictator of the Assembly. Brown, being Brown, didn't run from it. He leaned into it. He knew that in politics, being feared is often more useful than being liked.
He was a civil rights firebrand who evolved into the ultimate dealmaker. He passed the Consenting Adult Sex Bill in 1975, which essentially legalized homosexuality in California long before it was fashionable. He fought for AIDS research funding when it was a "taboo" subject. He was complex. You could find him at a black-tie gala one night and on a picket line the next morning.
✨ Don't miss: Robert Hanssen: What Most People Get Wrong About the FBI's Most Damaging Spy
Actionable Insights from the Willie Brown Playbook
Whether you love him or hate him, there are lessons to be learned from how Willie L Brown Jr navigated the world.
- Master the "Quiet Room": Brown always said that the real decisions are made in small rooms before the public meeting even starts. If you want to lead, you need to know who the stakeholders are before you hit the podium.
- Loyalty is Currency: In a world of shifting alliances, being the person who keeps their word (and expects others to do the same) creates a long-term power base.
- Adapt to Limitations: His management of his failing eyesight shows that you don't let a physical or situational "weakness" define your output. You build systems to bypass it.
- Control the Narrative: Don't let your enemies define your nicknames or your legacy. If they call you a king, put on the crown and start acting like one.
Today, Brown remains a fixture in San Francisco. He still writes columns, still gives advice to the new crop of leaders, and still shows up to his regular "circuit" of restaurants. He lives in the Millennium Tower, watching the city he helped build change once again. He’s seen the dot-com boom, the bust, the AI surge, and everything in between.
The era of the "all-powerful Speaker" might be over thanks to term limits, but the shadow of Willie Brown Jr still looms large over the California Capitol. He proved that a kid from a segregated town in Texas could become the most formidable force in the most populous state in the union.
To stay informed on his current work, you can follow the Willie L. Brown, Jr. Institute on Politics and Public Service, which focuses on training the next generation of local government leaders. Studying his old floor speeches—many of which are archived in the California State Archives—is a masterclass in legislative maneuvering that no textbook can replicate. For those interested in the grit behind the glamour, his autobiography Basic Brown remains the definitive source on how the "juice" really works.