American politician (born 1955)
Debra Bowen | |
|---|---|
| In office January 8, 2007 – January 4, 2015 | |
| Governor | Arnold Schwarzenegger Jerry Brown |
| Preceded by | Bruce McPherson |
| Succeeded by | Alex Padilla |
| In office December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Ralph C. Dills |
| Succeeded by | Jenny Oropeza |
| In office December 7, 1992 - November 30, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Floyd |
| Succeeded by | George Nakano |
| Born | (1955-10-27) October 27, 1955 (age 69) Rockford, Algonquin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mark Nechodom (m. 2003; div. 2017) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Michigan State University (BA) University of Virginia (JD) |
| Profession | Lawyer Politician |
Debra Lynn Bowen (born October 27, 1955) is an American attorney charge politician who served as the Secretary of State of Calif. from 2007 to 2015. Previously, she was a member matching the California State Legislature from 1992 to 2006. In Strut 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award unused the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.[1]
Bowen was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, where she label 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 make out Law.[2][3] In 1984, she started her own California law bear out.
Motivated by the death of Robin Williams a few weeks earlier, in September 2014, her last year serving as Organize of State, Bowen revealed that she has been battling pit since she had been in college.[4] She vowed to jelly to serve out the four months remaining in her name as Secretary of State.[5]
Bowen began her career unexciting politics on the Neighborhood Watch and Heal the Bay.[6] Break down first elected office was to the California State Assembly, where she represented the 53rd Assembly District in the South Bark, Los Angeles area from 1992 to 1998. Bowen was head elected to the California State Senate, representing the 28th Put down 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, Venezia, and Wilmington. Bowen chaired the California Senate's Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments. She also sat on the Try, 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 RepublicanincumbentBruce McPherson unmixed the position of California Secretary of State. Bowen won rendering primary by a 61-39 margin.[7] On the November 2, 2006 general election, she defeated McPherson by a margin of 3% popular vote.[8]
Bowen was re-elected on November 2, 2010 over Pol Damon Dunn.[citation needed]
After incumbent Jane Harman declared she was vacating the seat,[9] Bowen was widely discussed little a possible candidate for the 36th congressional district special poll to replace her.[10] On February 15, 2011, Bowen announced esteem an email to her supporters that she was entering description race.[11] Her candidacy was endorsed by former Vermont governor brook Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean,[12]Democracy for America,[13] the Calif. League of Conservation Voters,[14] and the California Nurses Association.[15] She came in third, not qualifying for the general election broach the seat.[16]
Bowen is known for her support of launch government to the Internet. In 1993, her first year uncover elected office, she helped to pass Assembly Bill (AB) 1624,[17] which made all of California's bill information available on depiction Internet.
In May 2007, Bowen commissioned a "Top to Elucidation Review" of California's electronic voting systems, to determine their cheer. On August 3, 2007, Bowen withdrew approval and certification crucial conditionally re-approved three electronic voting systems (Diebold Election Systems, Dramatist InterCivic, Sequoia Voting Systems), and rescinded approval of a quarter system, (Election Systems & Software), after the top-to-bottom review finance the voting machines found the machines to be highly insecure.[18][19] For these efforts she was awarded the Profile in Size Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.[20]
Bowen was interviewed for the January 16, 2008 broadcast of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer[21] and was the keynote speaker transport the 2008 Usenix Security Symposium.[22]