At a press conference today, conservative leaders announced the formation of an Ohio branch of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty. The group is a network of conservatives questioning the alignment of capital punishment with their conservative principles
“Conservative Republicans in Ohio are increasingly becoming aware of the failures of an error-prone and expensive death penalty system that does nothing to make citizens of the state safer,” said Hannah Cox, National Manager of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty (CCATDP). “Many of Ohio’s leading conservatives, people who have supported the death penalty their entire lives, are now changing their minds based on what they have learned.”
Over 35 conservative leaders from around the state have signed CCATDP’s national Statement of Support to End the Death Penalty:
Conservative Statement of Support to End the Death Penalty
We have come to the conclusion that the death penalty does not work and can’t be made to work, not in spite of our conservative principles, but because of them. There are many reasons why growing numbers of conservatives are questioning the death penalty. Some of us are concerned that instead of making us safer, capital punishment has proven to be a costly and ineffective government program. Others of us are concerned that the death penalty makes too many mistakes. Still others are concerned that the death penalty has no place in a culture seeking to promote life. In light of its track record, we call on our fellow conservatives to reexamine the death penalty and demonstrate the leadership needed to end this failed policy.
titles/affiliations used for identification purposes only
Jon Allison
Former Chief of Staff to Ohio Governor Bob Taft
Representative Niraj Antani
Ohio State House
Andrea Ball
Cory Beam
Matt Carle
Partner, 17 Consulting
Matt Cox
GOP Operative
Josh Culling
Partner, Dezenhall Resources
Joe Erb
Former City Councilman, Hilliard, OH
Hugh Evans
Ross Geiger
Juror in the Ray Tibbetts’ case
Beth Hansen
Former Chief of Staff to Ohio Governor John Kasich
Michael Hartley
President, Swing State Strategies
Alexander Janakievski
Ben Kaiser
Van Meter, Ashbrook and Associates
Zach Kent
Political Director
Jim King
Porter Wright
Bob Klaffky
Van Meter, Ashbrook and Associates
Michael Knilans
Phalen Kuckuck
Representative Laura Lanese
Assistant Majority Whip, Ohio State House
Dave Luketic
Ohio Political Consultant & Former Political Director of the ORP
Jordan Ohler
Republican Media Consultant
Jim Petro
Former Attorney General of Ohio
Nancy Petro
Jeff Polesovsky
Former Kasich for America Political Director
Representative Craig Riedel
Ohio State House
Rick Sheridan
Jonathan Slaughter
Nick Strata
Bob Taft
Former Governor of Ohio
Pat Tiberi
Former Congressman
Trevor Vessels
Michael Hernon
Former RNC Director of Catholic Outreach
Katie Eagan
Former Executive Director, Ohio Republican Party
Elaine Herrick
Tom Haren
Former Ohio Republican State Senate Candidate: District 23
