Ohio Governor Dewine Calls for End to Death Penalty, Citing Ineffectiveness
WHO:
AP News - Governor Mike DeWine stated he felt compelled to share his observations now, having had 50 years of experience with the issue.
AP News - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, 79 years old, has been involved in the death penalty policy for 45 years.
AP News - Interim Ohio Republican Attorney General Andy Wilson expressed relief regarding DeWine's decision.
AP News - Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions, commented on DeWine's decision.
AP News - Abraham Bonowitz, executive director of Death Penalty Action, anticipated DeWine's announcement.
AP News - Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, provided a counterpoint to DeWine's stance.
WHAT:
AP News - DeWine mentioned that the state reinstated capital punishment in 1981 under a law co-written by him.
AP News - DeWine noted that Ohio has not executed an inmate since July 18, 2018, the year before he took office.
AP News - DeWine stated that 56 people have died by lethal injection in Ohio since the state resumed death penalties in 1999.
Fox News - Governor Mike DeWine announced support for abolishing the death penalty in Ohio.
AP News - DeWine stated that data shows the death penalty is not serving as a deterrent to violent crime.
AP News - DeWine presented charts and graphs showing a diminishing number of death sentences and long wait times for executions.
AP News - DeWine noted that condemned murderers are increasingly unlikely to be executed, with some dying by natural causes or suicide before their execution date.
AP News - DeWine mentioned that there are currently 30 scheduled executions over the next four years in Ohio.
WHERE:
AP News - The announcement was made in Columbus, Ohio.
WHEN:
AP News - DeWine stated he expects no further executions during his term, which ends in December 2026.
AP News - Ohio has not executed an inmate since July 18, 2018.
WHY:
AP News - DeWine expressed that he no longer believes the argument that the death penalty serves as a deterrent can be successfully made.
AP News - DeWine cited data indicating that the death penalty does not deter violent crime, which he previously believed was its moral imperative.
AP News - DeWine expressed concern over the years of pain caused to victims' families by execution delays and the mental health toll on state employees involved in executions.
HOW:
AP News - DeWine ordered the Ohio prison system to consider alternative lethal injection drugs as attorney general.
AP News - DeWine has postponed executions over the past seven years due to pharmaceutical suppliers' unwillingness to provide lethal injection drugs.
AP News - DeWine's position on the death penalty has evolved over time, influenced by his experiences as a county prosecutor, congressman, U.S. senator, and attorney general.
(UPDATED June 17, 2026 19:46 UTC)
Governor Mike DeWine shared his insights on capital punishment, drawing from his 50 years of experience with the issue. He highlighted that Ohio has not executed anyone since July 18, 2018, despite reinstating the death penalty in 1981 under a law he co-wrote, and noted that 56 inmates have died by lethal injection since 1999. DeWine also expressed his belief that the argument for the death penalty as a deterrent is no longer convincing, prompting him to order the Ohio prison system to explore alternative lethal injection drugs during his time as attorney general.
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(UPDATED June 17, 2026 08:50 UTC)
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced his support for abolishing the death penalty in the state, citing data that shows it does not deter violent crime. During his announcement in Columbus, DeWine presented evidence of a declining number of death sentences and highlighted that condemned murderers are increasingly likely to die of natural causes or suicide before their execution dates, with 30 executions currently scheduled over the next four years. He expressed his expectation that no further executions will take place during his term, which concludes in December 2026, reflecting his evolving stance on the issue after 45 years of involvement in death penalty policy.