Debra Bowen
From Ballotpedia
| Debra Bowen | |
 | |
| California Secretary of State | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2006 | |
| Current term ends 2010 | |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Website | Official California Secretary of State website |
Contents |
Debra Bowen (born October 27, 1955 in Rockford, Illinois) is the current Democratic Secretary of State of California. She is currently campaigning to be re-elected to the office in November 2010.
Education
- Graduated from Guilford High School (1973)
- Bachelor's degree, Michigan State University (1976)
- Juris Doctorate degree, University of Virginia School of Law (1979)
Political career
Prior to being elected as California's Secretary of State in 2006, Bowen served on the California State Assembly, representing the 53rd Assembly District, from 1992 to 1998. Beginning in 1998, she was a member of the California State Senate, representing the 28th State Senate District, a role she maintained until December 2006 when her service ended due to state term limit laws.
It was during her eight year tenure as a state senator that she voted in favor of a fair number of controversial pieces of legislation. Bowen voted in favor of SCR 113, which recognized May 1, 2006, as The Great American Boycott 2006, in order to educate people in California and the United States about the contributions of immigrants in California. Organizers called for supporters to abstain from buying, selling, working, and attending school, in order to demonstrate through direct action the extent to which the labor obtained of illegal immigrants is needed for the economy of the United States. Supporters of the boycott demanded general amnesty and legalization programs. Many opponents of the boycott saw this as promotion of illegal immigration, an issue that continues to be a continuous problem in the United States. The proposal passed by a vote of 24 to 13 on April 27th, 2006.
On May 11, 2006, SB 1437, also known as Sexual Diversity Content in Public School Curriculums, a bill co-sponsored by Bowen, passed by a vote of 22 to 15. The bill demands "no teacher shall give instruction nor shall a school district sponsor any activity that reflects adversely upon persons because of their ... gender ... sexual orientation." SB 1437 was controversial with religious advocates, not only because it dictated that the condemnation of homosexuality by public school employees would now be punishable by law, but that it also actively forwarded the notion that homosexuality is a legitimate lifestyle. Another peculiar idiom of the measure was that it "would remove 'sex-specific' terms such as 'mom' and 'dad' from textbooks."[1] According to the California Senate Judiciary Committee, "The bill also would direct the school governing boards to include only instructional material that accurately portrays the cultural, racial, gender and sexual diversity of our society, and, in instructional material for the social sciences, include the contributions of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender to the economic, political and social development of California and the United States of America." SB 1437 was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2006.
Bowen voted on June 1st, 2006, in support of SB 1160, a measure that would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue drivers licenses to undocumented workers, or illegal aliens, in the state of California. The bill passed by a vote count of 23 to 15.
Other roles
| State Government |
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| State officials |
| State legislatures |
| Elections, 2010 |
| Primary election dates, 2010 |
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- Member, Court Technology Advisory Committee, Judicial Council (2000-present)
- Chair, Assembly Natural Resources Committee
- Member, Heal the Bay Legal Committee
- Chair, National Conference of State Legislatures E-Communications Steering Committee
- Executive Board, National Conference of State Legislatures
- Member, National Conference of State Legislatures Task Force on State and Local Taxation of Telecommunications and Electronic Commerce
- Chair, Senate Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee
- Chair, Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee
Controversy
ACORN
Debra Bowen received the endorsement of ACORN-PAC in her 2006 election bid. In spite of the embattled nature of the organization, she continues to proudly display her endorsement on her Sacramento office wall.[2]
Electoral history
2006
| 2006 Race for Secretary of State - Democratic Primary[3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
 Debra Bowen (D)
| 60.9% | |||
| Deborah V. Ortiz (D) | 39.1% | |||
| Total votes | 2,163,961 | |||
| 2006 Race for Secretary of State - General Election[4] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Percentage | |||
| Debra Bowen (D)
| 48.1% | |||
| Bruce McPherson (R) | 45% | |||
| Forrest Hill (Green) | 2.2% | |||
| Write Ins | 4.7% | |||
| Total votes | 8,385,573 | |||
2010
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2010
Bowen is planning a run in 2010 for a second four-year term as California's secretary of state. If a primary opponent emerges, the primary date is June 8, 2010.
Family life
Debra Bowen currently resides in Marina del Rey, California with her husband, Mark Nechodom, and their daughter, Maya.
Awards
- Profile in Courage Award (2008) from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Contact Information
California Secretary of State
1500 11th Street
Sacramento, California 95814
(916) 653-6814
External links
- Official California Secretary of State website
- Debra Bowen's Facebook profile
- Debra Bowen's Twitter account
- Debra Bowen for Secretary of State Campaign website
- Project Vote Smart - Debra Bowen biography
References
- ↑ World Net Daily "Bill promoting homosexuality in schools OK'd" 23 June, 2006
- ↑ Smart Voter - Additional Endorsements for Debra Bowen
- ↑ 2006 Primary Election Results
- ↑ 2006 General Election Results
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