Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has called for the abolition of the death penalty in the state, marking a significant reversal from his long-standing support for capital punishment and the law he helped craft more than four decades ago.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, the Republican governor said he no longer believes the death penalty serves as an effective deterrent to violent crime and urged lawmakers to repeal Ohio’s capital punishment statute.
The announcement comes as DeWine nears the end of his second and final term in office and after years of overseeing a de facto moratorium on executions in the state.
DeWine said his views evolved after decades of experience as a county prosecutor, congressman, U.S. senator, attorney general and governor.
He argued that data shows the death penalty is increasingly unlikely to be carried out and no longer fulfills its intended purpose.
“I do not believe that argument today can be successfully made, nor do I believe that there's any chance in the future the facts that I've cited to support that belief will change,” DeWine said.
“Therefore, I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty.”
The governor pointed to declining death sentences, lengthy appeals processes and the growing number of condemned inmates who die before execution.
He also cited the emotional toll on victims’ families and state employees involved in carrying out executions.
Ohio’s current death penalty law took effect in 1981 and was co-written by DeWine.
The state has not conducted an execution since July 2018.
DeWine’s position places him at odds with some Republican leaders in Ohio and nationally.
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman has said he would “vigorously oppose” efforts to abolish the death penalty, while President Donald Trump has pledged to expand the federal government’s use of capital punishment.
The governor said reasonable people continue to disagree on the issue but urged lawmakers to reconsider the policy or allow voters to decide its future.
His announcement comes amid broader shifts in public attitudes toward capital punishment and as several states have moved to abolish or suspend the practice in recent years.
Ohio currently has dozens of executions scheduled over the coming years, though DeWine has repeatedly postponed them during his tenure.