Newsom moves to commute all 548 California death sentences to life without parole

The announcement

Gavin Newsom said on Thursday, 5 November 2026, that he is moving to change every death sentence in California to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The Democratic governor, who has served eight years, set out the decision in a letter to state residents. He has been weighing a mass commutation for months, and the announcement came only days after Democrats won the midterm elections and took control of Congress. Accounts differ on how far the process has advanced, with some describing the commutations as already done and others saying Newsom has only started the process.

“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.”

Who would be affected

California holds 548 people on death row, a population Newsom's letter describes as the largest in the Western Hemisphere. According to the Telegraaf's breakdown, 529 of them are men and 19 are women. The state has not carried out an execution since 2006, and Newsom placed a moratorium on executions in 2019. Capital murder cases make up about 70 percent of California's death row prisoners. For prisoners who also have numerous felony cases beyond their capital murder conviction, the governor cannot act alone and must recommend clemency to the state Supreme Court, where at least four of the seven justices must sign off.

Men529

Women19

Men

529

Women

19

Data from the article text

Reactions and political stakes

The decision is expected to draw strong reactions from victims' families, some of whom have openly backed commutations while others have strongly opposed them. The move could also bring criticism aimed at Newsom and other Democrats over their criminal justice policies, while reform advocates who have long raised concerns about wrongful convictions and racial disparities could credit him. The New York Times reports that the move could make Newsom more compelling to liberal voters in a Democratic primary while exposing him to attacks in a general election, and he is weighing a 2028 presidential run. Death penalty opponents have planned a minute-long national commercial praising the decision as an act of courage and leadership, which will air on dozens of news and political shows.

“I know we cannot execute people in our imperfect legal system and remain true to our core values, first among them justice and human decency.”

Wider context on the death penalty

Newsom began his first term by placing a moratorium on executions, dismantling the state's death chamber at San Quentin and repealing its lethal injection protocol. The Guardian ties the latest decision to the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee, which the outlet links to renewed calls for a nationwide pause on capital punishment. Since voters reinstated the death penalty in 1978, 13 inmates have been executed in California, according to the BBC, which also reports that experts say the change could save millions of dollars in court costs each year.

Elsewhere, Roy Cooper, North Carolina's Democratic governor, commuted 15 death sentences in 2024 on his final day in office, and an Illinois Republican commuted all 167 death sentences in 2003 before leaving office. California is one of 27 states that still have the death penalty on the books.