Debra Lynn Bowen (born October 27, 1955), is an American politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was the Secretary of State of California from 2007 to 2015. 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 was unable to run for a third term in 2014 because of term limits.