Bowen in Favor of Gay Marriage, Despite Listed Position on Voting Website
A 2002 survey by Project Vote Smart says Debra Bowen is against gay marriage, but her votes and actions on the issue suggest she supports same-sex marriage.
Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who is running for the vacant 36th Congressional District seat, stated in a 2002 questionnaire that she believes that marriage should be restricted to a relationship between a man and a woman, but her voting record and actions – including officiating some same-sex marriages – refute that position.
Bowen's campaign said Tuesday that information listed on Project Vote Smart's 2002 National Political Awareness Test is incorrect. Campaign spokesman Steve Barkan said her record and actions put her firmly in the camp of those in favor of same-sex marriage.
As a state senator, Bowen twice vote in favor of same-sex marriage: in 2004 on Assembly Joint Resolution 85, which opposed the federal marriage amendment, and in 2005 on Assembly Bill 849, which would allow same-sex couples to marry in California.
Bowen has even officiated some same-sex marriages, including the wedding of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Zeke Zeidler and his husband Jay Kohorn, Barkan said.
Montana-based Project Vote Smart sends its National Political Awareness Test – now known as the Political Courage Test – to candidates in state legislative, congressional, gubernatorial and presidential races, asking for their views on a variety of issues, including hot-button topics such as abortion and gun control.
In 2002, Bowen was running for re-election for a state Senate seat and filled out the survey. She was elected as Secretary of State in 2006, after being term limited out of the state Senate.
Project Vote Smart national director Kristen Vicedomini said her organization sends the surveys to candidates, who fill them out and return them. In some instances a campaign worker or representative can fill out the survey, but the candidate herself must sign off on it. Three different Project Vote Smart employees check the information before putting it online.
Barkan said he doesn’t know how it came to be that Bowen’s 2002 survey said she was against gay marriage.
“It could’ve been an error on the part of her. She didn’t have a campaign staff in 2002. … More likely it was an error by a volunteer,” Barkan said. “What’s more important is her record.”
Gay rights organization Equality California, which has put out a legislative scorecard every year since 2004, has given Bowen consistently high marks for voting in favor of gay-friendly legislation as a state senator. In 2004 and 2005 she had a 100 percent rating, and in 2006 she scored 93 percent.
"She voted for the marriage bill in California and has been a strong and vocal supporter of marriage equality," Equality California spokesman Vaishalee Raja wrote in an e-mail.
Vicedomini said Project Vote Smart allows candidates to update their answers if their positions have changed, but since Bowen's survey is from 2002, “it’s a little bit past the window to update that.”
Project Vote Smart, however, plans to send new surveys to the candidates running for the 36th Congressional District seat. Usually the group allows a six-week testing period, with the goal of having all answers in at least a week before the election, which is expected to be in June. Vicedomini said the new surveys will likely be sent out in April or May.
Bowen is among a diverse field of candidates who have stated their intention to run in the upcoming election to replace Jane Harman, who resigned from Congress at the end of February to join a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
Other Democratic candidates who have said they will run include Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn and Marcy Winograd, who has been union-backed in past elections.
Republican candidates so far include Hermosa Beach City Councilman Kit Bobko, Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin and Redondo Beach City Attorney Mike Webb.
Ricki
8:21 pm on Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Someone who is truly progressive would support marriage equality all along. I know that some view Bowen as progressive, but I feel more like she does what is convenient. I am concerned that when we send her to Congress, gay marriage may no longer be convenient. Let's rally around Marcy Winograd. She is a true progressive. She founded PDLA, the Los Angeles chapter of PDA, she's a teacher, a union member, an anti-war activist. She as progressive before it was popular. Besides, we just re-elected Debra Bowen to Secretary of State because we want her to serve in Sacramento during uncertain times involving redistricting. It’s more important she remain in Sacramento, protecting our 55 electoral votes.
Marta Evry
12:20 am on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Ricki,
Apparently you didn't actually read the story. Bowen has never changed her position on marriage equality, she's always supported it.
Chad Molnar
7:23 am on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Oh, I see.. she just "accidentally" listed herself as being against marriage equality in 2002. And it just "accidentally" stayed on record at Project Vote Smart for nine years. As a gay man, it gives me some pause, to say the least.. but, ok.
Jim Kennedy
10:58 am on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Chad, Chad, Chad...is this what the Hahn campaign has got you doing??? Here is some free opposition research for you and others:
Bowen supported the interests of the Equality California 100 percent in 2003.
Bowen supported the interests of the Equality California 100 percent in 2002.
Bowen supported the interests of the Equality California 100 percent in 2001.
Chad Molnar
11:43 am on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
I'm flattered that everyone is giving me all of this attention, but the info didn't originate with me. It was sent out to the West L.A. Dem Club last Friday, and not by anyone even remotely associated with Janice Hahn. I just expressed outrage over it. And, by the way, since you're so focused on Equality California scorecards, the reason Debra Bowen didn't get 100% in 2006 was because she and Dean Florez were the only Dems to vote "present" (counted as a no vote) on AB 2051, the Equality in Prevention and Services for Domestic Abuse Act. Every other Democrat in the Senate voted for it.. and every Republican voted against it.
Marta Evry
1:06 pm on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Chad, it appears you really want to keep this rumor afloat. Perhaps readers ought to understand your connection to Janice Hahn, one of Bowen's opponents in the race, so they can better understand your motivations.
http://veniceforchange.blogspot.com/2011/03/janice-hahn-city-hall-allies-conduct.html
Chad Molnar
1:23 pm on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
I have to say that I'm not exactly sure why it's a sin to support one candidate over another, or participate in the Democratic process, or why my affiliations seem to be more important to you than the public records of the individuals that are actually running for this office. All I can say is that the only two pieces of information I've posted are accurate. In 2002, Debra Bowen stated on her Project Vote Smart questionnaire that marriage should be between a man and woman. In 2006, she voted "present" on AB 2051, the Equality in Prevention and Services for Domestic Abuse Act; the only Democrat other than Dean Florez who didn't vote for it. Do with that information what you will. They are not rumors. They are fact.
Marta Evry
3:50 pm on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Here's what I find frustrating about this exchange - you seem to be bringing these issues up in an effort to prove Bowen is against marriage equality and other LGBT civil rights issues. Yet there are statements from the candidate, statements from Equality California and other LGBT organizations and leaders, along with an easily verifiable history of the candidate, that together do a pretty good job of countering your argument.
I'm sure there will be real issues and points of disagreement that will come up in the campaign. Why double down on something that's demonstrably not true?
David Welch
4:41 pm on Wednesday, March 9, 2011
I'm a member of the PAC of my union and when last we interviewed Janice Hahn, who was seeking our endorsement, I came away with one overwhelming impression: That Janice is all about one thing: Janice. For her campaign operatives to be throwing around this kind of garbage seems perfectly in character and makes me even more glad we decided not to endorse her - in this campaign or her previous one.
Jim Kennedy
9:33 am on Thursday, March 10, 2011
Chad - I love you, man, but there is no issue here. Both Janice Hahn and Debra Bowen are 100% in favor of marriage equality.
If someone came to me with information out of context from 2002 and 2006 about why Chad Molnar may not be 100% in support of marriage equality, I would simply tell that person to go away. That is because I know you to be fully committed to civil rights. There would be no game of putting out an accusation and making the other side deny it.
So this thread is making all of us distracted from distraction by distraction. There are real issues in this race that define differences between these two candidates. This is not one of them. Move on, please.
Kelly Hartog
9:41 am on Thursday, March 10, 2011
Like your thinking, Jim. What ARE the big differences between the two of them?