Outgoing California Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted the death sentences of all 561 of the state’s Death Row inmates Nov. 5 and the Democrat’s long-expected move inspired death abolitionists nationwide.
“We are grateful that Gov. Newsom, like other Republican and Democratic leaders across the country, has decided to grant clemency to individuals on Death Row,” said Laura Porter, executive director of the U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty. “The historic number of commuted sentences would set a new record and offer an acknowledgement that the death penalty process is flawed.”
Kay Ivey
Newsom’s long-expected move follows outgoing Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s October decision to commute the death sentence of an inmate, Toforest Johnson, to life in prison without possibility of parole. It was the Republican’s third commutation since 2025.
The moves by both governors come at time of heightened scrutiny on capital punishment in the U.S.
Tennessee’s high-profile botched executions of Tony Carruthers in May and Christa Pike in September have frozen executions in the state at least through the end of the year while the state’s lethal injection protocols are investigated. Health professionals, activists and even some Republican members of the legislature have urged stricter controls even as incoming Gov. Marsha Blackburn has called for bringing back use of the electric chair.
Outgoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who set a modern-day executions record for the state with 19 executions in 2025, matched that total with a Nov. 5 lethal injection — the same day attorneys and lawmakers in Indiana tried unsuccessfully to pause an execution due to concerns about the source of the state’s execution drugs.
Altogether this year, 34 people have been executed in seven states, including the 19 in Florida, seven in Texas, three in Oklahoma, two in Alabama and one each in Arizona, Indiana and Tennessee, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
The organization lists 27 states with capital punishment laws on the books, 23 without and four with executive holds on executions. Virginia, Colorado and New Hampshire are among states that most recently abolished the practice altogether.
Nadia Daar
But Newsom’s decision to spare the state’s massive Death Row population was hailed by multiple abolitionist and human rights organizations Nov. 5.
“This is a day that will be remembered in California’s history and resonate globally for years to come,” said Nadia Daar, executive director of Amnesty International USA.
“Gov. Newsom’s moratorium on the use of the death penalty upon taking office almost eight years ago was an important step, but it was always temporary,” she said. “Now, as he leaves office, he has taken another step to correct the injustice of the death penalty and solidified his position against the death penalty and building a foundation for others in California to continue to move the state toward full abolition.”
Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, called Newsom’s action “courageous.”
Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy
“Today’s historic decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom demonstrates how justice can be rooted in mercy and restoration instead of death and retribution. It is an incredibly encouraging and historic witness for life and advances human dignity,” she said.
Newsom’s move also highlights the painful injustices of capital punishment, including its expense and cruelty, said Conservatives Concerned Executive Director Demetrius Minor.
“For years, conservatives have raised concerns about the death penalty’s enormous cost, inherent risks of executing innocent people, potential for government overreach and whether this policy actually delivers on its promises of justice and safety.”
Capital punishment also must be opposed because it stands in direct conflict with Christian faith, said Joia Erin Thornton, director of Faith Leaders of Color Coalition.
“By commuting California’s Death Row, Newsom communicates that Californians deserve grace and rehabilitation more than state-sanctioned death. California’s Death Row is the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Today, Gov. Newsom signaled that our country can and should embrace a version of justice that values humanity over vengeance.”
The commutations also honor the principles of human dignity and dignity, said Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“These commutations reflect what justice demands: an end to a racist, error-prone and inhumane punishment that has burdened California for far too long. By taking this step, Gov. Newsom has affirmed that the death penalty has no place in California and he showed real courage by confronting racialized injustice head-on.”