John Burton, one of the most influential figures in California politics for decades, who gained a reputation as a straight talker from his zestful use of profanity and his openhearted discussion of overcoming drug addiction, died on Sunday at a hospice facility in San Francisco. He was 92.

His family announced the death. His health had deteriorated after a fall about two weeks ago.

Mr. Burton was considered a leader of a political machine that dominated California politics, along with his brother Phillip, who, like John, served in the House of Representatives; Phillip’s widow, Sala, who succeeded Phillip in the House; and Willie Brown, a former San Francisco mayor.

Among the state leaders this group picked or mentored were Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House; Barbara Boxer, the former U.S. senator; Kamala Harris, the former senator, vice president and presidential candidate; and Gavin Newsom, the current governor.

Mr. Burton served in the California State Assembly in the 1960s and ’70s, and he briefly chaired the state’s Democratic Party. He served four terms in Congress but chose not to seek a fifth in 1982, citing depression and dependence on crack cocaine and nitrous oxide.

In 1988, more than 20 years after he was first elected, he returned to the State Assembly. In 1996, he moved to the State Senate, where he would serve as president pro tempore for eight years. He then retook another old job, serving as state party chairman from 2009 to 2017.