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 |
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 |
| Find your state |
- 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
Controversies
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]
Secretary of State Project
- See also: Secretary of State Project
Bowen, who was named "one of the most progressive Secretaries of State in the nation,"[3] has received the endorsement and, likely, the financial assistance of the Secretary of State Project, a below-the-radar 527 political organization whose purpose is to "wrestling control of the country from the Republican Party" through the process of "removing their political operatives from deciding who can vote and whose votes will count," namely the office of Secretary of State in many cases.[4]
Campaign contributions
| 2006 Race for Secretary of State - Campaign Contributions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Raised | $1,460,591 | |||
| Total Raised by Primary Opponent | $303,007 | |||
| Total Raised by Gen. Election Opponent | $2,383,068 | |||
| Top 5 Contributors | San Luis Obispo County Democratic Central Committee $25,000 (1.71% of Total) | |||
| Building & Construction Trades Council of California $22,200 (1.52%) | ||||
| California State Council of Service Employees/SEIU $22,200 (1.52%) | ||||
| California State Council of Laborers $21,100 (1.44%) | ||||
| California DNC $18,599 (1.27%) | ||||
| Other Notable Contributors | Service Employees Local 1000/SEIU $11,100 (0.76%) | |||
| Individuals v. Institutions | $636,285 (43.6%) | |||
| $545,215 (37.3%) | ||||
| In v. Outside State | $1,341,251 (94.5%) | |||
| $78,508 (5.5%) | ||||
Electoral history
2006
| 2006 Race for Secretary of State - Democratic Primary [5] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 [6] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 [7]
Contact Information
California Secretary of State
1500 11th Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: 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
- ↑ The Secretary of State Project - 2010 Races
- ↑ American Spectator "SOS in Minnesota" 7 Nov. 2008
- ↑ 2006 Primary Election Results
- ↑ 2006 General Election Results
- ↑ John F. Kennedy Library Foundation - Debra Bowen biography
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Bruce McPherson | California Secretary of State 2007–present | Succeeded by NA |
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