Debra Bowen
Encyclopedia
Debra Lynn Bowen a member of the Democratic Party
, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature
from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Bowen is unable to run for a third term in 2014 due to term limits
.
, where she graduated from Guilford High School in 1973. She received her bachelor's degree in 1976 from Michigan State University
, and her Juris Doctor
in 1979 from the University of Virginia School of Law
. In 1984, she started her own California law firm.
. . Her first elected office was to the California State Assembly
, where she represented the 53rd Assembly District in the South Bay
area from 1992 to 1998. Bowen was first elected to the California State Senate
, representing the 28th State Senate District, in 1998. Her district included all or portions of the cities of Carson
, El Segundo
, Hermosa Beach
, Lomita
, Los Angeles
, Long Beach
, Manhattan Beach
, Redondo Beach
, Torrance
, Venice, and Wilmington. Bowen chaired the California Senate's Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments. She also sat on the Energy, Utilities & Communications and Rules committees. Due to term limits, her service in the Senate ended in December 2006.
On June 6, 2006, Bowen faced Deborah Ortiz
, another state senator, in the Democratic primary to run against Bruce McPherson
for the position of California Secretary of State
. Bowen won the primary by a 61-39 margin. On November 2, Bowen defeated Republican
candidate for reelection McPherson by a margin of 3%.
She was re-elected on November 2, 2010 over Republican Damon Dunn
.
announced she was vacating the seat, Bowen was widely discussed as a possible candidate for the 36th congressional district special election
to replace her. On February 15, 2011, Bowen announced in an email to her supporters that she was entering the race. Her candidacy was endorsed by former Vermont
governor and Democratic National Committee
chairman Howard Dean
, Democracy for America
, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the California Nurses Association.She came in third, not qualifying for the general election for the seat.
to open government to computer users worldwide. In 1993, her first year in elected office, she successfully helped to pass legislative bill AB 1624, landmark legislation making all of California's bill information available on the Internet. In the years since, she has fostered privacy protection in the electronic age and has promoted stronger auditing demands upon electronic voting equipment to ensure the accuracy of the vote. Her emphasis on fair elections has made her popular with the progressive
wing of the Democratic party.
In May 2007, Bowen commissioned a "Top to Bottom Review" of California's electronic voting systems, to determine their security. On August 3, 2007, Bowen withdrew approval and certification and conditionally re-approved three electronic voting systems
(Diebold Election Systems
, Hart InterCivic, Sequoia Voting Systems
), and rescinded approval of a fourth system, (Election Systems & Software
), after the top-to-bottom review of the voting machines found the machines to be highly insecure. For these efforts she was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Bowen was interviewed for the January 16, 2008 broadcast of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
about her efforts to ensure California ballot integrity.
Bowen was the keynote speaker for the 2008 Usenix Security Symposium and spoke on the subject of protecting elections.
Debra Lynn Bowen (born October 27, 1955), a member of the Democratic Party
, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature
from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Bowen is unable to run for a third term in 2014 due to term limits
.
, where she graduated from Guilford High School in 1973. She received her bachelor's degree in 1976 from Michigan State University
, and her Juris Doctor
in 1979 from the University of Virginia School of Law
. In 1984, she started her own California law firm.
. . Her first elected office was to the California State Assembly
, where she represented the 53rd Assembly District in the South Bay
area from 1992 to 1998. Bowen was first elected to the California State Senate
, representing the 28th State Senate District, in 1998. Her district included all or portions of the cities of Carson
, El Segundo
, Hermosa Beach
, Lomita
, Los Angeles
, Long Beach
, Manhattan Beach
, Redondo Beach
, Torrance
, Venice, and Wilmington. Bowen chaired the California Senate's Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments. She also sat on the Energy, Utilities & Communications and Rules committees. Due to term limits, her service in the Senate ended in December 2006.
On June 6, 2006, Bowen faced Deborah Ortiz
, another state senator, in the Democratic primary to run against Bruce McPherson
for the position of California Secretary of State
. Bowen won the primary by a 61-39 margin. On November 2, Bowen defeated Republican
candidate for reelection McPherson by a margin of 3%.
She was re-elected on November 2, 2010 over Republican Damon Dunn
.
announced she was vacating the seat, Bowen was widely discussed as a possible candidate for the 36th congressional district special election
to replace her. On February 15, 2011, Bowen announced in an email to her supporters that she was entering the race. Her candidacy was endorsed by former Vermont
governor and Democratic National Committee
chairman Howard Dean
, Democracy for America
, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the California Nurses Association.She came in third, not qualifying for the general election for the seat.
to open government to computer users worldwide. In 1993, her first year in elected office, she successfully helped to pass legislative bill AB 1624, landmark legislation making all of California's bill information available on the Internet. In the years since, she has fostered privacy protection in the electronic age and has promoted stronger auditing demands upon electronic voting equipment to ensure the accuracy of the vote. Her emphasis on fair elections has made her popular with the progressive
wing of the Democratic party.
In May 2007, Bowen commissioned a "Top to Bottom Review" of California's electronic voting systems, to determine their security. On August 3, 2007, Bowen withdrew approval and certification and conditionally re-approved three electronic voting systems
(Diebold Election Systems
, Hart InterCivic, Sequoia Voting Systems
), and rescinded approval of a fourth system, (Election Systems & Software
), after the top-to-bottom review of the voting machines found the machines to be highly insecure. For these efforts she was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Bowen was interviewed for the January 16, 2008 broadcast of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
about her efforts to ensure California ballot integrity.
Bowen was the keynote speaker for the 2008 Usenix Security Symposium and spoke on the subject of protecting elections.
Debra Lynn Bowen (born October 27, 1955), a member of the Democratic Party
, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature
from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Bowen is unable to run for a third term in 2014 due to term limits
.
, where she graduated from Guilford High School in 1973. She received her bachelor's degree in 1976 from Michigan State University
, and her Juris Doctor
in 1979 from the University of Virginia School of Law
. In 1984, she started her own California law firm.
. . Her first elected office was to the California State Assembly
, where she represented the 53rd Assembly District in the South Bay
area from 1992 to 1998. Bowen was first elected to the California State Senate
, representing the 28th State Senate District, in 1998. Her district included all or portions of the cities of Carson
, El Segundo
, Hermosa Beach
, Lomita
, Los Angeles
, Long Beach
, Manhattan Beach
, Redondo Beach
, Torrance
, Venice, and Wilmington. Bowen chaired the California Senate's Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments. She also sat on the Energy, Utilities & Communications and Rules committees. Due to term limits, her service in the Senate ended in December 2006.
On June 6, 2006, Bowen faced Deborah Ortiz
, another state senator, in the Democratic primary to run against Bruce McPherson
for the position of California Secretary of State
. Bowen won the primary by a 61-39 margin. On November 2, Bowen defeated Republican
candidate for reelection McPherson by a margin of 3%.
She was re-elected on November 2, 2010 over Republican Damon Dunn
.
announced she was vacating the seat, Bowen was widely discussed as a possible candidate for the 36th congressional district special election
to replace her. On February 15, 2011, Bowen announced in an email to her supporters that she was entering the race. Her candidacy was endorsed by former Vermont
governor and Democratic National Committee
chairman Howard Dean
, Democracy for America
, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the California Nurses Association.She came in third, not qualifying for the general election for the seat.
to open government to computer users worldwide. In 1993, her first year in elected office, she successfully helped to pass legislative bill AB 1624, landmark legislation making all of California's bill information available on the Internet. In the years since, she has fostered privacy protection in the electronic age and has promoted stronger auditing demands upon electronic voting equipment to ensure the accuracy of the vote. Her emphasis on fair elections has made her popular with the progressive
wing of the Democratic party.
In May 2007, Bowen commissioned a "Top to Bottom Review" of California's electronic voting systems, to determine their security. On August 3, 2007, Bowen withdrew approval and certification and conditionally re-approved three electronic voting systems
(Diebold Election Systems
, Hart InterCivic, Sequoia Voting Systems
), and rescinded approval of a fourth system, (Election Systems & Software
), after the top-to-bottom review of the voting machines found the machines to be highly insecure. For these efforts she was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Bowen was interviewed for the January 16, 2008 broadcast of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
about her efforts to ensure California ballot integrity.
Bowen was the keynote speaker for the 2008 Usenix Security Symposium and spoke on the subject of protecting elections.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Bowen is unable to run for a third term in 2014 due to term limits
Term limits in the United States
Term limits in the United States apply to many offices at both the federal and state level, and date back to the American Revolution.-Pre-constitution:...
.
Background and education
Bowen was born and raised in Rockford, IllinoisRockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, where she graduated from Guilford High School in 1973. She received her bachelor's degree in 1976 from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, and her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1979 from the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
. In 1984, she started her own California law firm.
Career in politics
Bowen began her career in politics on the Neighborhood Watch and Heal the BayHeal the Bay
Heal the Bay is a U.S. environmental advocacy non-profit organization based in Santa Monica, California.Heal the Bay is dedicated to protecting California's Santa Monica Bay, a region of the Pacific coast encompassed by Malibu's Point Dume on the north and the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the south...
. . Her first elected office was to the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, where she represented the 53rd Assembly District in the South Bay
South Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
area from 1992 to 1998. Bowen was first elected to the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
, representing the 28th State Senate District, in 1998. Her district included all or portions of the cities of Carson
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, El Segundo
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
, Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,506 at the 2010 census, up from 18,566 at the 2000 census....
, Lomita
Lomita, California
Lomita is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,256 at the 2010 census, up from 20,046 at the 2000 census...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
, Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
, Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, Venice, and Wilmington. Bowen chaired the California Senate's Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments. She also sat on the Energy, Utilities & Communications and Rules committees. Due to term limits, her service in the Senate ended in December 2006.
On June 6, 2006, Bowen faced Deborah Ortiz
Deborah Ortiz
Deborah V. Ortiz is an American politician from Sacramento, California. A Democrat, she served in both chambers of the California State Legislature. A then-member of Sacramento City Council, Ortiz was elected to the California State Assembly in 1996 and served a single two-year term representing...
, another state senator, in the Democratic primary to run against Bruce McPherson
Bruce McPherson
Bruce A. McPherson is a California politician who was the 30th California Secretary of State, sworn in March 30, 2005. He was nominated to replace former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, who resigned on March 4. McPherson, a Republican from Santa Cruz County, served his term as Secretary until...
for the position of California Secretary of State
California Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional...
. Bowen won the primary by a 61-39 margin. On November 2, Bowen defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for reelection McPherson by a margin of 3%.
She was re-elected on November 2, 2010 over Republican Damon Dunn
Damon Dunn
Damon Jerrel Dunn is a former American football player and Republican Party candidate for California Secretary of State in the 2010 election.- Early life :...
.
Candidacy for Congress seat
After incumbent Jane HarmanJane Harman
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
announced she was vacating the seat, Bowen was widely discussed as a possible candidate for the 36th congressional district special election
California's 36th congressional district special election, 2011
A 2011 special election in California's 36th congressional district filled the vacancy in California's 36th congressional district after the resignation of incumbent Jane Harman on February 28, 2011, who vacated her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to become head of the Woodrow Wilson...
to replace her. On February 15, 2011, Bowen announced in an email to her supporters that she was entering the race. Her candidacy was endorsed by former Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
governor and Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
chairman Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
, Democracy for America
Democracy for America
Democracy for America is a progressive, people-powered political action committee, headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont. Founded by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists,...
, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the California Nurses Association.She came in third, not qualifying for the general election for the seat.
Policy interests
Bowen is known for her pioneering support toward using the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to open government to computer users worldwide. In 1993, her first year in elected office, she successfully helped to pass legislative bill AB 1624, landmark legislation making all of California's bill information available on the Internet. In the years since, she has fostered privacy protection in the electronic age and has promoted stronger auditing demands upon electronic voting equipment to ensure the accuracy of the vote. Her emphasis on fair elections has made her popular with the progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
wing of the Democratic party.
In May 2007, Bowen commissioned a "Top to Bottom Review" of California's electronic voting systems, to determine their security. On August 3, 2007, Bowen withdrew approval and certification and conditionally re-approved three electronic voting systems
Electronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
(Diebold Election Systems
Diebold Election Systems
Premier Election Solutions, formerly Diebold Election Systems, Inc. was a subsidiary of Diebold that makes and sells voting machines. In 2009 it was sold to competitor ES&S. Another subsidiary selling electronic voting systems in Brazil is Diebold-Procomp, with minor market share in that nation...
, Hart InterCivic, Sequoia Voting Systems
Sequoia Voting Systems
Sequoia Voting Systems was a California-based company that is one of the largest providers of electronic voting systems in the U.S., having offices in Oakland, Denver and New York City. Some of its major competitors were Premier Election Solutions and Election Systems & Software.It was acquired by...
), and rescinded approval of a fourth system, (Election Systems & Software
Election Systems & Software
Election Systems & Software is an American company that provides voting services.ES&S is a subsidiary of McCarthy Group, LLC, which is jointly held by the holding firm and the Omaha World-Herald Company, the publisher of Nebraska's largest newspaper. As of 2007 it was the largest manufacturer of...
), after the top-to-bottom review of the voting machines found the machines to be highly insecure. For these efforts she was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Bowen was interviewed for the January 16, 2008 broadcast of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
about her efforts to ensure California ballot integrity.
Bowen was the keynote speaker for the 2008 Usenix Security Symposium and spoke on the subject of protecting elections.
External links
- Official State of California biography
- Official campaign website
- Debra Bowen fact sheet on the University of California President's website
- AB 1624 Info on CA Legislation site
- Why California Secretary of State Debra Bowen Pulled the Plug on E-Voting Government Technology MagazineGovernment Technology MagazineGovernment Technology magazine is the flagship periodical of Folsom, California-based publishing company e.Republic Incorporated. The magazine aims to deliver editorial content to information technology professionals working in the public-sector, primarily in state and local government.Established...
July 2008
Debra Lynn Bowen (born October 27, 1955), a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Bowen is unable to run for a third term in 2014 due to term limits
Term limits in the United States
Term limits in the United States apply to many offices at both the federal and state level, and date back to the American Revolution.-Pre-constitution:...
.
Background and education
Bowen was born and raised in Rockford, IllinoisRockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, where she graduated from Guilford High School in 1973. She received her bachelor's degree in 1976 from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, and her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1979 from the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
. In 1984, she started her own California law firm.
Career in politics
Bowen began her career in politics on the Neighborhood Watch and Heal the BayHeal the Bay
Heal the Bay is a U.S. environmental advocacy non-profit organization based in Santa Monica, California.Heal the Bay is dedicated to protecting California's Santa Monica Bay, a region of the Pacific coast encompassed by Malibu's Point Dume on the north and the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the south...
. . Her first elected office was to the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, where she represented the 53rd Assembly District in the South Bay
South Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
area from 1992 to 1998. Bowen was first elected to the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
, representing the 28th State Senate District, in 1998. Her district included all or portions of the cities of Carson
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, El Segundo
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
, Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,506 at the 2010 census, up from 18,566 at the 2000 census....
, Lomita
Lomita, California
Lomita is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,256 at the 2010 census, up from 20,046 at the 2000 census...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
, Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
, Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, Venice, and Wilmington. Bowen chaired the California Senate's Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments. She also sat on the Energy, Utilities & Communications and Rules committees. Due to term limits, her service in the Senate ended in December 2006.
On June 6, 2006, Bowen faced Deborah Ortiz
Deborah Ortiz
Deborah V. Ortiz is an American politician from Sacramento, California. A Democrat, she served in both chambers of the California State Legislature. A then-member of Sacramento City Council, Ortiz was elected to the California State Assembly in 1996 and served a single two-year term representing...
, another state senator, in the Democratic primary to run against Bruce McPherson
Bruce McPherson
Bruce A. McPherson is a California politician who was the 30th California Secretary of State, sworn in March 30, 2005. He was nominated to replace former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, who resigned on March 4. McPherson, a Republican from Santa Cruz County, served his term as Secretary until...
for the position of California Secretary of State
California Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional...
. Bowen won the primary by a 61-39 margin. On November 2, Bowen defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for reelection McPherson by a margin of 3%.
She was re-elected on November 2, 2010 over Republican Damon Dunn
Damon Dunn
Damon Jerrel Dunn is a former American football player and Republican Party candidate for California Secretary of State in the 2010 election.- Early life :...
.
Candidacy for Congress seat
After incumbent Jane HarmanJane Harman
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
announced she was vacating the seat, Bowen was widely discussed as a possible candidate for the 36th congressional district special election
California's 36th congressional district special election, 2011
A 2011 special election in California's 36th congressional district filled the vacancy in California's 36th congressional district after the resignation of incumbent Jane Harman on February 28, 2011, who vacated her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to become head of the Woodrow Wilson...
to replace her. On February 15, 2011, Bowen announced in an email to her supporters that she was entering the race. Her candidacy was endorsed by former Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
governor and Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
chairman Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
, Democracy for America
Democracy for America
Democracy for America is a progressive, people-powered political action committee, headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont. Founded by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists,...
, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the California Nurses Association.She came in third, not qualifying for the general election for the seat.
Policy interests
Bowen is known for her pioneering support toward using the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to open government to computer users worldwide. In 1993, her first year in elected office, she successfully helped to pass legislative bill AB 1624, landmark legislation making all of California's bill information available on the Internet. In the years since, she has fostered privacy protection in the electronic age and has promoted stronger auditing demands upon electronic voting equipment to ensure the accuracy of the vote. Her emphasis on fair elections has made her popular with the progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
wing of the Democratic party.
In May 2007, Bowen commissioned a "Top to Bottom Review" of California's electronic voting systems, to determine their security. On August 3, 2007, Bowen withdrew approval and certification and conditionally re-approved three electronic voting systems
Electronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
(Diebold Election Systems
Diebold Election Systems
Premier Election Solutions, formerly Diebold Election Systems, Inc. was a subsidiary of Diebold that makes and sells voting machines. In 2009 it was sold to competitor ES&S. Another subsidiary selling electronic voting systems in Brazil is Diebold-Procomp, with minor market share in that nation...
, Hart InterCivic, Sequoia Voting Systems
Sequoia Voting Systems
Sequoia Voting Systems was a California-based company that is one of the largest providers of electronic voting systems in the U.S., having offices in Oakland, Denver and New York City. Some of its major competitors were Premier Election Solutions and Election Systems & Software.It was acquired by...
), and rescinded approval of a fourth system, (Election Systems & Software
Election Systems & Software
Election Systems & Software is an American company that provides voting services.ES&S is a subsidiary of McCarthy Group, LLC, which is jointly held by the holding firm and the Omaha World-Herald Company, the publisher of Nebraska's largest newspaper. As of 2007 it was the largest manufacturer of...
), after the top-to-bottom review of the voting machines found the machines to be highly insecure. For these efforts she was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Bowen was interviewed for the January 16, 2008 broadcast of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
about her efforts to ensure California ballot integrity.
Bowen was the keynote speaker for the 2008 Usenix Security Symposium and spoke on the subject of protecting elections.
External links
- Official State of California biography
- Official campaign website
- Debra Bowen fact sheet on the University of California President's website
- AB 1624 Info on CA Legislation site
- Why California Secretary of State Debra Bowen Pulled the Plug on E-Voting Government Technology MagazineGovernment Technology MagazineGovernment Technology magazine is the flagship periodical of Folsom, California-based publishing company e.Republic Incorporated. The magazine aims to deliver editorial content to information technology professionals working in the public-sector, primarily in state and local government.Established...
July 2008
Debra Lynn Bowen (born October 27, 1955), a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Bowen is unable to run for a third term in 2014 due to term limits
Term limits in the United States
Term limits in the United States apply to many offices at both the federal and state level, and date back to the American Revolution.-Pre-constitution:...
.
Background and education
Bowen was born and raised in Rockford, IllinoisRockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, where she graduated from Guilford High School in 1973. She received her bachelor's degree in 1976 from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, and her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1979 from the University of Virginia School of Law
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
. In 1984, she started her own California law firm.
Career in politics
Bowen began her career in politics on the Neighborhood Watch and Heal the BayHeal the Bay
Heal the Bay is a U.S. environmental advocacy non-profit organization based in Santa Monica, California.Heal the Bay is dedicated to protecting California's Santa Monica Bay, a region of the Pacific coast encompassed by Malibu's Point Dume on the north and the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the south...
. . Her first elected office was to the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, where she represented the 53rd Assembly District in the South Bay
South Bay, Los Angeles
The South Bay is a region of the southwest peninsula of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The name stems from its geographic features stretching along the southern shores of Santa Monica Bay which forms its western border.The picture at right uses the broadest definition of the...
area from 1992 to 1998. Bowen was first elected to the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
, representing the 28th State Senate District, in 1998. Her district included all or portions of the cities of Carson
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, El Segundo
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
, Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,506 at the 2010 census, up from 18,566 at the 2000 census....
, Lomita
Lomita, California
Lomita is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 20,256 at the 2010 census, up from 20,046 at the 2000 census...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
, Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
, Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, Venice, and Wilmington. Bowen chaired the California Senate's Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments. She also sat on the Energy, Utilities & Communications and Rules committees. Due to term limits, her service in the Senate ended in December 2006.
On June 6, 2006, Bowen faced Deborah Ortiz
Deborah Ortiz
Deborah V. Ortiz is an American politician from Sacramento, California. A Democrat, she served in both chambers of the California State Legislature. A then-member of Sacramento City Council, Ortiz was elected to the California State Assembly in 1996 and served a single two-year term representing...
, another state senator, in the Democratic primary to run against Bruce McPherson
Bruce McPherson
Bruce A. McPherson is a California politician who was the 30th California Secretary of State, sworn in March 30, 2005. He was nominated to replace former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, who resigned on March 4. McPherson, a Republican from Santa Cruz County, served his term as Secretary until...
for the position of California Secretary of State
California Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional...
. Bowen won the primary by a 61-39 margin. On November 2, Bowen defeated Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for reelection McPherson by a margin of 3%.
She was re-elected on November 2, 2010 over Republican Damon Dunn
Damon Dunn
Damon Jerrel Dunn is a former American football player and Republican Party candidate for California Secretary of State in the 2010 election.- Early life :...
.
Candidacy for Congress seat
After incumbent Jane HarmanJane Harman
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
announced she was vacating the seat, Bowen was widely discussed as a possible candidate for the 36th congressional district special election
California's 36th congressional district special election, 2011
A 2011 special election in California's 36th congressional district filled the vacancy in California's 36th congressional district after the resignation of incumbent Jane Harman on February 28, 2011, who vacated her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to become head of the Woodrow Wilson...
to replace her. On February 15, 2011, Bowen announced in an email to her supporters that she was entering the race. Her candidacy was endorsed by former Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
governor and Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
chairman Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
, Democracy for America
Democracy for America
Democracy for America is a progressive, people-powered political action committee, headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont. Founded by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists,...
, the California League of Conservation Voters, and the California Nurses Association.She came in third, not qualifying for the general election for the seat.
Policy interests
Bowen is known for her pioneering support toward using the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
to open government to computer users worldwide. In 1993, her first year in elected office, she successfully helped to pass legislative bill AB 1624, landmark legislation making all of California's bill information available on the Internet. In the years since, she has fostered privacy protection in the electronic age and has promoted stronger auditing demands upon electronic voting equipment to ensure the accuracy of the vote. Her emphasis on fair elections has made her popular with the progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
wing of the Democratic party.
In May 2007, Bowen commissioned a "Top to Bottom Review" of California's electronic voting systems, to determine their security. On August 3, 2007, Bowen withdrew approval and certification and conditionally re-approved three electronic voting systems
Electronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
(Diebold Election Systems
Diebold Election Systems
Premier Election Solutions, formerly Diebold Election Systems, Inc. was a subsidiary of Diebold that makes and sells voting machines. In 2009 it was sold to competitor ES&S. Another subsidiary selling electronic voting systems in Brazil is Diebold-Procomp, with minor market share in that nation...
, Hart InterCivic, Sequoia Voting Systems
Sequoia Voting Systems
Sequoia Voting Systems was a California-based company that is one of the largest providers of electronic voting systems in the U.S., having offices in Oakland, Denver and New York City. Some of its major competitors were Premier Election Solutions and Election Systems & Software.It was acquired by...
), and rescinded approval of a fourth system, (Election Systems & Software
Election Systems & Software
Election Systems & Software is an American company that provides voting services.ES&S is a subsidiary of McCarthy Group, LLC, which is jointly held by the holding firm and the Omaha World-Herald Company, the publisher of Nebraska's largest newspaper. As of 2007 it was the largest manufacturer of...
), after the top-to-bottom review of the voting machines found the machines to be highly insecure. For these efforts she was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.
Bowen was interviewed for the January 16, 2008 broadcast of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
about her efforts to ensure California ballot integrity.
Bowen was the keynote speaker for the 2008 Usenix Security Symposium and spoke on the subject of protecting elections.
External links
- Official State of California biography
- Official campaign website
- Debra Bowen fact sheet on the University of California President's website
- AB 1624 Info on CA Legislation site
- Why California Secretary of State Debra Bowen Pulled the Plug on E-Voting Government Technology MagazineGovernment Technology MagazineGovernment Technology magazine is the flagship periodical of Folsom, California-based publishing company e.Republic Incorporated. The magazine aims to deliver editorial content to information technology professionals working in the public-sector, primarily in state and local government.Established...
July 2008