California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he will commute every death sentence in the state to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The clemency covers 548 people, including 529 men and 19 women, and represents the largest mass commutation of death sentences in U.S. history.
Newsom published an open letter explaining his decision. “I take this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us,” he wrote.
The governor further argued that “we cannot execute people in our imperfect legal system and remain true to our core values, first among them justice and human decency” and that he “could not remain true to my values and oversee the killing of people with death warrants in California.
He added, “We can now let these offenders die in obscurity while we forever remember and honor their victims.”
The governor also responded to suggestions that he only preserve the death penalty for the “worst of the worst” and explained why he could not go this route.
Some have said I should not grant clemency to people who committed the "worst of the worst" crimes. I carefully considered different categories of capital crimes and offender characteristics. I have learned, however, from speaking with the victims harmed by these crimes, that each experiences their loss as the worst of the worst. I have concluded that attempting to distinguish among crimes and offenders for clemency would inadvertently create two classes of murder victims—those whose perpetrators deserve the death penalty and then the rest.
BREAKING: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 people on the state’s death row to life without parole, in the largest mass commutation in modern U.S. history. https://t.co/F2NiU8okXM
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 5, 2026
Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, who leads the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, said she plans to challenge the clemency in court. She argued that the court must review each case individually.
Some victims’ families were incensed by Newsom’s announcement. Marc Klaas, the father of a murder victim whose killer is on death row, said, “We’re talking about absolutely the worst people in our society, without a doubt. And he’s putting his energy into commuting these characters?”
On the other side of the coin, those who oppose the death penalty celebrated Newsom’s announcement. Demetrius Minor, executive director with Conservatives Concerned, told Townhall, “This is a major step toward a smarter, more responsible justice system. Conservatives can lead on public safety, fiscal responsibility, and the dignity of every human life. Conservatives Concerned is positioned to help take the lead with this.”
Newsom, who is term-limited and leaves office in January, is widely expected to seek the Democrat presidential nomination in 2028.
The governor imposed a moratorium on executions by executive order in March 2019, two months after taking office, and had San Quentin’s execution chamber dismantled. The state has not carried out an execution since 2006.
Voters chose to keep capital punishment in 2016 when they rejected Proposition 62, which would have repealed the death penalty. They approved Proposition 66, which was aimed at speeding up executions.
A Pew Research Center study released a poll in August 2026 showing that 66 percent of Americans favor the death penalty for murder convictions. A Quinnipiac University poll revealed that 48 percent of Californians prefer life in prison while 41 percent support capital punishment.
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