COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivered a detailed prepared statement Monday reflecting on the state’s capital punishment system and concluding that the death penalty no longer serves as a meaningful deterrent to murder, calling instead for its repeal.
Speaking in Columbus on June 16, 2026, DeWine said his views were shaped by a decades-long career in public service, including roles as a county prosecutor, state senator, U.S. House and Senate member, Ohio Attorney General, and governor.
DeWine reviewed Ohio’s modern death penalty history, noting that he co-sponsored the 1981 legislation that reinstated capital punishment in the state and later supported federal measures expanding eligibility for the death penalty during his time in Congress. He also detailed his work as Attorney General, where he defended death penalty statutes, pursued capital cases, and oversaw legal proceedings involving executions.
“I have had ample reason to think about this issue for 50 years,” DeWine said, reflecting on his career in law enforcement and public office.
Questions of deterrence
A central focus of the governor’s remarks was whether capital punishment deters violent crime. DeWine said he once believed it could, but argued that Ohio’s long-term experience shows otherwise.
He pointed to what he described as the “certainty and swiftness” required for deterrence, arguing that neither is present in Ohio’s system due to lengthy appeals and legal delays.
According to data cited in the statement, the average time between sentencing and execution for the last 10 people executed in Ohio was approximately 21 years, with individual cases ranging from 14 to 32 years. DeWine said that such delays undermine any potential deterrent effect.
He also noted that many individuals sentenced to death either die in custody, have convictions overturned, or are removed from death row through court action before execution occurs.
Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1981, DeWine said, 337 people have been sentenced to death in Ohio. Of those, 56 have been executed, 41 died in custody, and 89 were removed due to judicial rulings.
Declining use over time
The governor also pointed to a long-term decline in the use of capital punishment in Ohio. He cited a steady drop in both death penalty indictments and sentencing over the past four decades, with only a small number of new death sentences issued in recent years.
In the 1980s, Ohio averaged more than 14 death sentences per year, compared to fewer than one per year in the early 2020s, according to figures included in the statement.
Impact on victims’ families and prison staff
DeWine also addressed the impact of the system on victims’ families, saying reactions vary widely. While some families seek executions, others oppose them for moral or religious reasons. He emphasized that many families share frustration over lengthy delays in carrying out sentences.
The governor further highlighted testimony from corrections officials and staff involved in executions, describing emotional and psychological strain on those tasked with carrying out capital punishment procedures.
Call for repeal
In concluding his remarks, DeWine said the totality of Ohio’s experience with capital punishment demonstrates that it is no longer defensible as a deterrent.
“I no longer believe the death penalty is a deterrent to murder,” he said. “The moral justification I had for voting for the death penalty simply no longer exists.”
He called on the Ohio General Assembly to abolish the death penalty, while suggesting the issue could also be placed before voters if lawmakers choose not to act.
DeWine emphasized that his position does not diminish the severity of violent crime or the harm suffered by victims’ families, but said Ohio should instead focus resources on preventing repeat violent offenders from re-entering society.
“Any decision to end the death penalty cannot change the horror of these crimes,” he said. “But we must focus on what actually protects the public.”
