Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, on Tuesday announced support for abolishing capital punishment in his state, reaffirming his change of heart on the policy he helped write as a legislator 45 years ago to reinstate the death penalty in Ohio.

DeWine, who has repeatedly postponed executions during his time as governor, pointed to data showing that the death penalty does not serve as a deterrent to violent crime.

«For the state to take a human life, there must, in my opinion, there must be evidence that in doing so it will help protect the public, that the threat of that action will deter someone from committing murder,» DeWine said at a news conference.

«I do not believe that argument today can be successfully made, nor do I believe that there’s any chance in the future the facts that I’ve cited to support that belief will change,» he said. «Therefore, I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty.»

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As he made his case, DeWine brought out charts and graphs showing the decline in both the number of death sentences handed down by courts and the quantity of executions being carried out. The data also showed the exceedingly long wait times as legal appeals play out for inmates on death row.

The governor said condemned murderers are increasingly unlikely to be executed, as they sometimes die by natural causes or by suicide before they can be executed.

«Even if the murderer is caught, indicted, convicted and sentenced to death, the odds are still pretty good they’re not going to be executed,» he said.

«In summary, each decade that the death penalty has been in effect, the chances of a murderer getting executed get more and more and more remote,» he added.

The last 10 people to be executed in Ohio had been on death row between 14 and 32 years, he said. Since the state reinstated capital punishment in 1981 under a law co-written by DeWine, 56 people who received the death sentence have been executed and 41 died by natural causes or suicide while on death row. Another 89 death sentences were overturned due to «judicial action» such as legal errors.

DeWine emphasized the years of pain for victims’ loved ones due to the delays and the impact on the mental health of state employees who work on execution teams.

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The governor cited data showing that the death penalty does not serve as a deterrent to violent crime. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

«I no longer believe the death penalty is a deterrent to murder,» DeWine said. «The moral justification I had for voting for the death penalty simply no longer exists.»

The governor, who is term-limited and cannot seek another term in the 2026 election, said he felt compelled to share his thoughts now after 50 years of experience with the death penalty issue, including as a Greene County prosecutor, a member of the U.S. House and Senate and as Ohio’s attorney general.

However, he said his outright opposition to the death penalty has become solidified in the past year.

DeWine urged the legislature to abolish the death penalty or to leave it up to state residents to vote on the issue, although Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman has said he would oppose such an effort. Other supporters of capital punishment have argued that Ohio’s yearslong execution pause has denied justice to victims’ families and weakened the deterrent effect of death sentences.

DeWine has not authorized an execution since taking office seven years ago, citing, on numerous occasions, pharmaceutical suppliers’ unwillingness to provide the drugs used in lethal injections. Last year, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Justice Department to help states to resolve that issue. In January 2025, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Justice Department to help states resolve that issue.

The governor has said he expects no more executions during the remainder of his term. Delaying executions has left Ohio with 30 scheduled over the next four years, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The state has not put an inmate to death since July 18, 2018, before DeWine took office.

The governor urged the legislature to abolish the death penalty or to leave it up to state residents to vote on the issue. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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«The most important way to protect the public is to lock up violent criminals and to keep them out of society,» DeWine said. «That is a proven way of saving lives and protecting our citizens. Our money and energies are much better spent focusing on keeping these repeat violent offenders out of society.»

Currently, 27 states allow the death penalty while 23 states and Washington, D.C., do not, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Since 2019, including that year, three states have abolished capital punishment, while five states now authorize nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method amid ongoing controversy over lethal injection protocols.

At the federal level, Trump has pushed to expand executions. During his first term, 13 federal executions were carried out, which was more than any president in modern history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

El Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) de Guatemala informó que hasta el 15 de junio de 2026 había 2,4 millones de jóvenes empadronados menores de 30 años, por debajo del registro del proceso electoral de 2023. El dato fue analizado por la Comisión de la Juventud del Congreso junto con planes de formación cívica y preparación para las elecciones generales de 2027.

De acuerdo con Omar Alexander Gereda Franco, jefe del Departamento de Inscripción de Ciudadanos y Elaboración de Padrones del TSE, el padrón electoral sumaba 10.095.713 ciudadanos inscritos, de los cuales 2.405.563 correspondían a personas menores de 30 años. Ese grupo representa cerca del 24% de los ciudadanos empadronados en el país.

Gereda explicó que en el proceso electoral de 2023 se registraron aproximadamente 2,5 millones de ciudadanos empadronados de entre 18 y 30 años, dentro de un total de 10,9 millones de electores. La comparación con el registro actualizado para 2026 muestra una disminución en ese segmento de la población electoral.

La reunión de trabajo de la comisión se centró en la participación juvenil en las últimas elecciones, los programas de educación cívica, el empadronamiento juvenil, la inclusión de personas con discapacidad y el presupuesto para iniciativas dirigidas a la juventud.

El diputado Héctor Aldana expresó su preocupación por la falta de información dirigida a grupos juveniles para incentivar su participación en temas electorales. También señaló la necesidad de aprovechar con mayor fuerza las redes sociales y otras herramientas digitales para conectar con ese sector.

La jefa del Departamento de Inscripción de Ciudadanos y Elaboración de Padrones, Virginia García, informó que a finales de julio será lanzada la campaña Alianza Juvenil por la Democracia, orientada a la capacitación y formación de jóvenes voluntarios que participarán en las Juntas Receptoras de Votos en los próximos procesos electorales. Según la representante del programa de Voluntariado Cívico, el proyecto busca fomentar la participación de la juventud y de las personas con discapacidad en los asuntos democráticos del país.

Las autoridades del TSE buscarán apoyo de las organizaciones políticas para fortalecer las secretarías de juventud y ampliar los procesos de capacitación dirigidos a esa población.

Según lo expuesto en la reunión, en los próximos meses se prevé el desarrollo de campañas de empadronamiento y actividades de formación ciudadana enfocadas en jóvenes, con apoyo de universidades, organizaciones sociales e instituciones públicas. Los diputados también plantearon ampliar las oportunidades de participación para jóvenes con discapacidad y promover la participación ciudadana de cara a los comicios de 2027.

En una segunda reunión, la comisión citó a María Victoria Peneleu, viceministra de Previsión Social y Empleo del Ministerio de Trabajo; a Elizabeth Ugalde, viceministra de Desarrollo de la Micro, Pequeña y Mediana Empresa del Ministerio de Economía; y a delegados de la Dirección de Atención y Asistencia al Consumidor para fiscalizar el avance del programa Mi Primer Empleo y otras acciones orientadas a ampliar las oportunidades laborales para los jóvenes.

La funcionaria añadió que el programa mantiene alianzas con 60 empresas en todo el país mediante un esquema de financiamiento compartido: el Estado absorbe el 51% del salario mínimo y las empresas participantes cubren el 49% restante. Durante cuatro meses, los beneficiarios reciben capacitación y adquieren experiencia laboral para facilitar su incorporación al mercado de trabajo.

ATLANTA, Ga. — President Donald Trump’s endorsement wasn’t enough to boost Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to victory Tuesday night in the ballot-box showdown for the southeastern battleground state’s Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Jones was defeated by billionaire businessman Rick Jackson in the GOP runoff election for Georgia governor, the Associated Press reports, in the race to succeed term-limited conservative Gov. Brian Kemp.

Jackson, who shelled out over $100 million of his own money on his bid, will now face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who served in the Biden administration, in this autumn’s general election. Bottoms avoided a runoff by winning a majority of the vote as she topped six other candidates in last month’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.

«When I announced my campaign, I said the political class protects itself….it’s a cartel and I said I’m coming to break it up. Well, tonight, we shattered it,» said Jackson, who launched his campaign in February, in his victory speech.

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«I’m the only candidate who doesn’t owe a thing to the political establishment,» Jackson emphasized. «I can’t be bought, and I’m not going to back down…. Tonight we did more than win a runoff. Tonight we proved that the people of Georgia are in charge.»

Jackson was unknown to Georgia voters a few months ago, but thanks to an avalanche of ads, his story of building a business empire despite growing up in foster care and not being able to afford college became well known in the Peach State.

«I know what it’s like to feel like nobody sees you, especially the elite and the powerful,» Jackson said in his speech a hundreds of supporters. «When you grow up the way I did, you never forget where you came from. You never forget the families who are working harder than ever, but still falling behind.»

Jackson was also boosted in the final stretch ahead of the runoff election by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, the conservative firebrand from Texas.

Throughout his campaign, Jackson has said that Trump inspired him to run.

«I just thought, you know, if you had somebody doing business solutions for the state of Georgia, just like Trump is for the United States, I just felt like I would have a major impact on the state of Georgia, and so that was one of the reasons I wanted to get in. I was inspired by President Trump,» Jackson told Fox News Digital last month.

And he repeatedly highlighted that, like Trump, he’s an outsider and businessman. «I’m going to be Trump’s favorite governor because we’re just alike on the way that we handle business and handle problems, and I want to do exactly in Georgia what he’s doing at the federal government,» he reiterated in a Fox News Digital interview Sunday.

And Jackson spotlighted his outsider credentials, saying that voters could «see somebody that’s actually like Trump, not just endorsed. And from that standpoint, I think having an outsider is what our people want.»

Cruz joined Jackson on the campaign trail for a runoff eve rally.

«Rick has an extraordinary record, an extraordinary life story. And I also think he’s positioned to win. And the stakes are too high. This election is a battleground all across the country. We can’t afford to lose Georgia,» Cruz told Fox News Digital.

When Cruz endorsed Jackson on Friday, he also supported South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is facing off in a week against Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.

Asked if he’s trying to put some daylight between himself and the president on the campaign trail, Cruz quickly responded, «No. Not remotely….The president and I agree on the vast majority of races. What I try to do in every race is endorse the strongest conservative who can win. And typically I get in races late in the race at a time where my support might be able to make a difference and be helpful.»

Jones, on the eve of the Cruz visit, took aim at Jackson.

«He keeps on bringing in these out-of-state senators, and I would much rather have the president’s endorsement,» he said. «He’s having to go out of state to get his support. We’re keeping all our stuff in state.»

And Jones repeatedly questioned his rival’s support for the president, pointing to Jackson’s past donations to Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans as evidence that he was out of step with the MAGA wing of the party.

Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones highlighted support from President Donald Trump as he ran for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the key southeastern battleground state. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

«He’s been dishonest about who he is. He’s been dishonest about who he’s supported in the background,» Jones charged. «He’s actually, you know, portraying himself as something that he’s not.»

Jackson pushed back, saying the attacks on him were «just lies.»

Jones and Jackson were the top two finishers in last month’s crowded and competitive GOP gubernatorial primary, which also included state Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Because no candidate topped 50%, Jones and Jackson advanced to the runoff.

Jones, a former captain of the University of Georgia football team, an oil executive and heir to the Jones Petroleum Company, served as a state senator before winning election in 2022 as lieutenant governor. A major Trump supporter, he was endorsed by the president last August.

«He and I have a long-standing relationship — friendship — and I’ve always been a big supporter of his, and he’s a very big supporter of mine, as well,» Jones said last month in a Fox News Digital interview as he pointed to Trump.

And he repeatedly showcased the president’s endorsement during the primary and runoff campaigns.

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Kemp made a last-minute endorsement on Sunday, backing Jones. And at an event Monday morning, Kemp explained that his mission is «to make sure that we have the best folks at the top of the ticket that can win in November and you know, that’s why I’m supporting Burt Jones for governor.»

«When you think about the direction of the state, the great things that we’ve been able to do, I think he’s best suited to move the state forward,» Kemp said. And he warned of the «consequences of not winning, like we’ll be going the way of Virginia, New York, California, we just cannot afford to do that.»

Term-limited GOP Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, right, endorses Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the Republican gubernatorial runoff, in Atlanta, Georgia on June 15, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Jackson, looking to the general election battle with Bottoms, told Fox News Digital that when it comes to his spending, «I’ll put in whatever is necessary. We cannot have somebody that doesn’t know how to run the city that now wants to run the state. So, from that standpoint, I’ll do whatever is necessary to win in November.»

Bottoms, in a statement, took aim at Jackson.

«Rick Jackson is focused on enriching himself as Georgians are losing their health care coverage and are forced to pay soaring costs. Jackson has made more than a billion dollars off of a no-bid state contract for his health care company, but he opposes Medicaid expansion to lower the cost of health care,» Bottoms argued in a statement. «Georgians deserve a governor who is focused on ensuring they have every opportunity to thrive and who will fight for them when Donald Trump’s reckless policies hurt Georgia – that’s what I will do as governor.»

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, walks with her son Langston Bottoms, right, to vote early in the Georgia Primary Election, on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Atlanta (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)

While he wasn’t on the ballot, Trump’s immense clout over the GOP was facing another key test in Georgia.

The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past six weeks, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.

But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped two weeks ago when his 11th-hour endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

Zach Lahn raises his fist in celebration after defeating his primary opponent in Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial race on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Zach Lahn for Governor via Facebook)

Trump rebounded last week, as the candidate he endorsed in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field and clinched one of the two tickets in the race for the nomination.

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Meanwhile, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham did win a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff.

Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president.