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By Amanda Greenwood
Associate News Editor
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California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced plans to convert every death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, putting the spotlight on the man set to succeed him, Xavier Becerra, and his views on the death penalty.
On November 5, Newsom announced that he intends to use his power as Governor to change the sentences of the 548 people currently sentenced to death in California. These changes to their sentences won’t result in anyone being released early or becoming eligible for parole, and won’t alter their convictions or restitution orders either.
In an open letter explaining his decision, Newsom said: “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.”
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The decision follows his 2019 executive order, which placed a moratorium on executions. California itself hasn’t executed anyone since January 2006, although capital punishment remains authorized under state law.
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What Has Becerra Said About the Death Penalty?
Becerra, a Democrat and California's incoming governor, has an extensive background in state and federal government.
Born in Sacramento on January 26, 1958 to working-class parents, he attended Stanford University and Stanford Law School before working for the California Department of Justice. He subsequently served one term in the State Assembly and 12 terms in the House of Representatives. Becerra became California's 33rd attorney general in January 2017 and was the first Latino to hold the position.
In 2021, he left the attorney general's office to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Joe Biden administration.
His stance on capital punishment appears to contrast with Newsom's unequivocal opposition.
In March 2017, shortly after becoming attorney general, Becerra announced that his office would continue seeking the death penalty against Scott DeKraai, who had admitted to killing eight people and attempting to kill a ninth during a 2011 shooting at a Seal Beach hair salon.
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“After weighing the evidence, considering the law and the responsibilities of my office, I have concluded that the appropriate course of action is to seek the death penalty in this case,” Becerra said at the time.
This shows that Becerra has previously been prepared to pursue capital punishment on an individual case basis.
Newsweek has contacted Becerra’s office for comment.
What Do Californians Think?
California voters have previously rejected attempts to eliminate capital punishment.
In 2012, Proposition 34, which would have replaced the death penalty with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, was defeated by roughly 52 percent to 48 percent.
Four years later, voters considered the issue again. Proposition 62 proposed abolishing the death penalty and replacing existing death sentences with life without parole. The measure was rejected.
Although not specific to California, recent nationwide polling suggests that the death penalty continues to be supported by the majority of Americans. A 2026 Pew Research Center survey found that 66 percent of U.S. adults favored capital punishment for people convicted of murder, while 32 percent opposed it. But at the same time, 59 percent said they didn’t feel that the death penalty deterred serious crime.
The debate over capital punishment has faced renewed scrutiny nationally following a botched execution attempt in Tennessee on September 30. Christa Pike survived after receiving two injections of the execution drug pentobarbital. On October 7, Texas executed Jamaal Howard using the same drug, despite his lawyers seeking a delay over concerns raised by the Tennessee case.
The political question facing Becerra is, therefore, particularly significant. Newsom's action will remove death sentences from California's 548 condemned prisoners once the required legal steps are completed, but it doesn’t itself abolish the death penalty from California law.
That means the state's next governor could inherit a California where death row has effectively been emptied, but where the death penalty itself remains on the books.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Paul Donnelley.
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