Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine publicly called for abolishing the death penalty on June 16, saying research shows it does not discourage people from committing murder, according to the Associated Press.

The 79-year-old Republican governor made the announcement at a press conference — a significant shift from his position as recently as late 2020, when he said he still supported capital punishment under Ohio law even though he had begun to doubt whether it worked. DeWine has delayed dozens of executions over his seven years in office, but this was his first time publicly calling for the death penalty to be abolished entirely.

DeWine said the evidence shows the death penalty does not deter murder. For decades, the argument that executions prevent crime has been the main reason supporters give for keeping capital punishment. When a sitting governor — especially one who has spent years enforcing death penalty law — says this argument no longer holds up, it carries weight in a state legislature that would need to vote to change the law.

Ohio has not carried out an execution since 2018. DeWine's delays came partly because drug companies refused to supply the chemicals used in lethal injections. This left people on death row in a legal holding pattern throughout his time as governor. His shift from postponing executions to calling for abolition closes a gap that had become harder to explain.

The political context matters here. DeWine is a two-term Republican governor in a state that votes reliably Republican in national elections. His call for abolition goes against the national Republican platform, which has historically supported capital punishment. Yet his position joins a quiet trend: over the past decade, governors from both parties — including Republicans in Wyoming and Montana — have grown skeptical of the death penalty. Their reasons vary: cost savings, evidence of wrongful convictions, and, like DeWine, doubts about whether executions actually prevent crime.

Whether the Ohio legislature will act on DeWine's call is unclear. Republicans control supermajorities in both chambers, and legislative leaders have not signaled they plan to take up abolition. DeWine is in his final term — the Ohio Constitution prevents him from running again — which removes much of the political power a governor normally has to push a reluctant legislature. The next governor will not be obligated to support abolition.

Still, a governor's public backing can shift what lawmakers consider possible. Past abolition bills in Ohio stalled without support from the governor's office. That baseline changes now. Whether the legislature chooses to act is another question.