How Ohio’s GOP governor went from pro-death penalty to wanting repeal

Ohio Republicans On The Death Penalty: The General Assembly ‘Has Already Spoken’

By Rebecca Downs, The Daily Signal | June 19, 2026 Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday revealed his stance on the death penalty, ruffling the feathers of many Ohio Republicans in the process. “I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty. The Legislature could take this action, and I think they should take this action,” the governor said during a press conference.DeWine, a Republican leader who has been in Ohio politics for decades, cosponsored Senat…

Ohio Republicans React to DeWine's Stance on Death Penalty

Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, on Tuesday revealed his stance on the death penalty, ruffling the feathers of many Ohio Republicans in the process.

Former Death Penalty Supporter Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Urges Abolition of the Death Penalty

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (pic­tured), a Republican, said on June 16, 2026 that he now believes Ohio should abol­ish the death penal­ty. Gov. DeWine helped to write the state’s death penal­ty law while serv­ing as a state leg­is­la­tor in 1981, but has halt­ed exe­cu­tions dur­ing his time as gov­er­nor, cit­ing con­cerns about the state’s lethal injection protocol. In a state­ment, Gov. DeWine described his 50 years of reflec­tion about the dea…

How Ohio’s GOP governor went from pro-death penalty to wanting repeal