Repeated postponements of scheduled Ohio executions during Republican Mike DeWine’s governorship suggest that at least until he leaves office in January 2027, the only factors that might end the life of anyone on Ohio’s Death Row (117 men and one woman) are illness or old age.
That’s the backdrop for why DeWine’s fellow Republican, Attorney General David Yost, and some Ohio House Republicans are championing Alabama’s new execution method as an option for Ohio – the administration of readily available nitrogen in lieu of lethal injections of hard-to-obtain drugs.
Ohio’s last execution, in July 2018, took place during the administration of DeWine’s predecessor, suburban Columbus Republican John R. Kasich. Since Ohio resumed executions in 1999, under Republican then-Gov. Bob Taft, the state has executed 56 people.
Connection between abortion and death penalty
For many Ohioans of faith, opposition to the death penalty can come in tandem with opposition to abortion. DeWine is foursquare against abortion.