Republicans and the death penalty

[Iosif]

Are there any Republican politicians that actively oppose the death penalty?

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Are there any Republican politicians that actively oppose the death penalty?

I think Ron Paul opposes it on a federal level.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Ron Paul does oppose the death penalty at all levels, though he would leave it up to the states to decide. Sam Brownback opposes the death penalty and chaired a hearing on the issue in 2006.
Michael Steele opposes the death penalty. I'm sure there are others.

[angus]

Are there any Republican politicians that actively oppose the death penalty?

shua already mentioned Ron Paul and Sam Brownback.  I didn't know about Michael Steele.

I think only about 23% of Republicans and about 38% of Democrats oppose capital punishment , so you won't find many politicians in this country in any party who "actively" oppose it.  Something like two-thirds of Americans support capital punishment, although I"m not sure of the percentage of elected officials who support or oppose.  I've stumbled across some websites with good info over the years.  I think Deathpenaltyinfo.org and OpinionatedCatholic.com has a list of some of them.  I only know this because I am strongly opposed to capital punishment in all cases.  I imagine only a small fraction of politicians of either party actively oppose the death penalty.

[tmthforu94]

Not that I'm an elected official, but I oppose the death penalty. I probably wouldn't make it a campaign issue, though I think I have some valid points that would appeal to liberals and conservatives.

[Torie]

There are few places where a Republican could win a primary opposing the death penalty. Maybe in Vermont.

[Beet]

I see why Sam Brownback opposes the death penalty- but Ron Paul? Is there something libertarian about being against the death penalty?

[tpfkaw]

I see why Sam Brownback opposes the death penalty- but Ron Paul? Is there something libertarian about being against the death penalty?

Libertarians aren't too keen on the possibility of innocents being murdered by the state.

[Mint]

I see why Sam Brownback opposes the death penalty- but Ron Paul? Is there something libertarian about being against the death penalty?

Libertarians aren't too keen on the possibility of innocents being murdered by the state.

Or at least they shouldn't be, somehow a lot of the 'government can't do anything right' crowd magically gains a lot of confidence on this issue though...

[angus]

Beet, Libertarians commonly nominate presidential candidates who were against capital punishment.  Harry Brown in 2000, for example, although Michael Badnarik in 2004 was somewhat ambiguous on the issue.  One interesting comment that Constitutionalist candidates often make when asked about their position on the death penalty is "We are not Libertarians!"  I take that to mean that although they too are for smaller, less intrusive government, they are not bound to that particular principle. 

I have determined that only one U.S. senator "actively" opposes the death penalty.  A few give lip service to the frailties of the current capital punishment system, but when Feingold introduced S.447 to the Senate floor in 2007, no other senator volunteered a co-sponsorship to the bill.  Brownback did not join him, and though it may have been for political reasons, the billed died a quiet death.  No executions necessary.  I think it's safe to say that once Feingold loses his re-election bid and the 112th congress is sworn in on January 6, no sitting U.S. senator can be accused of "actively" opposing capital punishment. 

I'm still looking into the House and state legislatures.  I'd imagine you could find some there.  Ron Paul (R-TX) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) both oppose capital punishment, as do Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), so clearly you can find a handful of house members in either party who oppose the death penalty, but I don't really have a complete list at the moment.

The thing to remember is that a majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats and a majority of unaffiliated voters support some form of capital punishment.  Overall, when asked, "Are you in favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?" an overwhelming majority of all voters answer in the affirmative.  According to Gallup, anywhere from about 66 to 72% of Americans, consistently since about 1980, support the death penalty in certain cases, with no clear upward or downward trend in this number.  Broken down by partisan affiliation, it's nearly 80% for Republicans, nearly 60% for Democrats, and nearly 70% for unaffiliated voters, so it is unlikely that many of our politicians will not support it as well. 

[Insula Dei]

Russ Feingold really is a huge hero.

[Phony Moderate]

The Republican running for Congress who Wormyguy mentioned the other day (one of his ads was narrated by Morgan Freeman) opposes the death penalty.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

yes, BJ Lawson in NC.
Keith Fimian (running for VA-11) is against the death penalty, while the Libertarian candidate supports it.  

I see that Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (MD-6) has, like Ron Paul, come to oppose the death penalty in the past few years. 
Mike Philips (Chris von Hollen's opponent) is, ftr, anti- as well.

(I've been playing around with http://www.votesmart.org/voteeasy and this is one of the issues it scores)