▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁and ▁would ▁gar ner ▁ 5 6 . 6 % ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 , ▁ 5 7 % ▁in ▁' 8 6 , ▁and ▁ 5 4 % ▁in ▁' 8 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁he ▁sli pped ▁to ▁a ▁me ager ▁ 5 2 . 7 % ▁against ▁San ▁Bernard ino ▁County ▁Super visor ▁Rob ▁Hamm ock , ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁t ough ▁elections ▁to ▁come . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁f amed ▁pilot ▁Dick ▁R ut an ▁held ▁him ▁to ▁ 5 0 . 7 %. ▁The ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁race ▁was ▁even ▁closer ▁as ▁he ▁bare ly ▁defeated ▁San ▁Bernard ino ▁County ▁Super ior ▁Court ▁Judge ▁L inda ▁Wil de ▁with ▁ 5 0 . 5 %, ▁winning ▁by ▁a ▁pl ur ality ▁of ▁only ▁ 9 9 6 ▁votes . ▁In ▁his ▁final ▁re e lection ▁campaign ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁he ▁came ▁up ▁with ▁ 5 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 0 2 nd ▁and ▁ 1 0 3 rd ▁Congress es , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Science , ▁Space ▁and ▁Technology , ▁which ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁House ▁Committee ▁on ▁Science . ▁ ▁Brown ▁died ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 7 9 ▁in ▁Beth es da , ▁Maryland , ▁from ▁an ▁in fection ▁developed ▁following ▁heart ▁val ve ▁replacement