iled ▁Mur phy ▁in ▁the ▁pol ls ▁by ▁double ▁digits ▁but ▁quickly ▁made ▁up ▁ground ▁and ▁defeated ▁Mur phy ▁hand ily ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election . ▁ ▁Post - de fe at ▁and ▁return ▁to ▁Congress ▁Following ▁his ▁defeat ▁by ▁John ▁Tun ney ▁in ▁the ▁California ▁Senate ▁Race , ▁Brown ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁Ford ▁Foundation ▁Fellow ship ▁and ▁studied ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁with ▁Ivan ▁Ill ich ▁at ▁his ▁Inter c ult ural ▁Document ation ▁Center ▁at ▁Cu ern av aca ▁in ▁Mexico . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁re app ort ion ment ▁added ▁five ▁new ▁districts ▁to ▁California ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁Brown ▁sought ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁red istrict ed ▁ 3 8 th ▁Cong r essional ▁District ▁and ▁won . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Nin ety - third ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁th ir teen ▁succeed ing ▁Congress es ▁( J anu ary ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁– ▁July ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 ). ▁ ▁Being ▁a ▁progress ive ▁Dem ocrat ▁from ▁a ▁largely ▁Republican ▁area , ▁Brown ▁was ▁famous ▁for ▁running ▁in ▁more ▁close ▁elections ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁con gress man ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁without ▁being ▁defeated . ▁A ▁close ▁election ▁is ▁considered ▁by ▁most ▁p und its ▁to ▁be ▁ 5 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁or ▁less , ▁as ▁most ▁inc umb ent ▁members ▁of ▁con gress ▁easily ▁top ▁ 6 0 % ▁in ▁their ▁races . ▁Brown ▁to