Secretary of state: Debra Bowen

One of the principal issues currently facing the secretary of state is the problem of applying modern technology to voting procedure. As chair of the Senate Elections Committee, Sen. Bowen has been an aggressive leader in fighting for safeguards to ensure that all votes will be accurately recorded and reported. Bowen is interested in serving as secretary of state because of its importance to what she calls "the infrastructure of our democracy". She has been a strong supporter of Clean Money campaign finance reform, and is extremely well-informed about the role and responsibilities of the office.

Bowen has been an environmental leader during her 14 years representing coastal Los Angeles in the legislature. She voted for 23 of Sierra Club California's 24 highest-priority bills on the Senate floor over the last three years, and played a key role in removing polluter-linked appointees from environmental positions.