Debra Bowen (born October 27, 1955) has been a California State Senator of the 28th State Senate District since 1998, and is the Democratic California Secretary of State-elect. She defeated incumbent Bruce McPherson 48.5% to 44.7%. This article is becoming very long. ... In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ... 2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bruce A. McPherson (born January 7, 1944) is a California politician, currently serving as the 30th California Secretary of State. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Secretary of State of California is the states chief elections officer. ... Bruce A. McPherson (born January 7, 1944) is a California politician, currently serving as the 30th California Secretary of State. ...

Bowen was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She received her bachelor's degree in 1976 from Michigan State University, and her Juris Doctorate in 1979 from the University of Virginia School of Law. In 1984 she started her own California law firm. Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. Traditionally referred to as The Forest City, Rockford is classified as a mid-sized city as it has 150,115 residents, while the metro area has 320,204 residents (2000 Census). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Michigan State University (MSU) is a public university in East Lansing, Michigan. ... J.D. redirects here; for alternate uses, see J.D. (disambiguation) J.D. is an abbreviation for the Latin Juris Doctor, also called a Doctor of Law or Doctorate of Jurisprudence, and is the law degree typically awarded by an accredited U.S. law school after successfully completing three years... This page refers to the year 1979. ... The University of Virginia (also called U.Va. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bowen was elected to the California State Assembly, representing the 53rd Assembly District from 1992-1998. The California State Assembly chamber California State Assembly Chamber in the State Capitol The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. ...

Bowen was first elected to the California State Senate in 1998. Her district includes 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. A Democrat, Bowen currently chairs the California Senate's Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments. She also sits on the Energy, Utilities & Communications and Rules committees. Due to term limits, her service in the Senate will end in December 2006. California state Senate chamber California State Senate Chamber in the State Capitol The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. ... Carson is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... The El Segundo skyline, as seen from Sepulveda Boulevard (CA/SR-1) El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California on the Santa Monica Bay, incorporated on January 18, 1917. ... Hermosa Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Lomita is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area    - City 1,290. ... Nickname: The International City (on flag), Friendly City (in Latin on citys seal), or the LBC Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: Country United States State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Bob Foster Area    - City 170. ... Manhattan Beach is a city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The population was 33,852 at the 2000 census. ... Redondo Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Location of Torrance in the County of Los Angeles Country United States State California County Los Angeles County, California Mayor Frank Scotto Area    - City 20. ... Venice Beach and Boardwalk Venice, California, is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California. ... General Phineas Banning Wilmington, California is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, with industry as its primary economical activity. ... A term limit is a provision of a constitution, statute, or bylaw which limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. ...

Bowen is known for her pioneering work using the Internet to open government to computer users worldwide. In 1993, her first year in elected office, she successfully passed AB 1624, landmark legislation putting all of California's bill information on the internet. In the years since, she has worked to protect privacy in the electronic age and to strengthen the auditing of 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. Progressivism is a term that refers to a broad school of contemporary international social and political philosophies. ...

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 [1]. Deborah Ortiz (born March 19, 1957) is a Democratic California State Senator, representing the 6th State Senate District. ... Bruce A. McPherson (born January 7, 1944) is a California politician, currently serving as the 30th California Secretary of State. ... The Secretary of State of California is the states chief elections officer. ...

External links

• 28th Senate District website
• Debra Bowen Election History
• Debra Bowen fact sheet on the University of California President's website
• Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments
• Secretary of State campaign website
• Debra's Myspace Page