SEATTLE — Democrats against the death penalty are heartened by the results of this new poll which they believe brings new energy to their efforts to abolish it.
A new scientific poll released today shows a strong majority of Washingtonians do not support the death penalty.
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The statewide poll was done for the Northwest Progressive Institute. It shows a 69% of Washingtonians are against the death penalty, while just 24% support it.
"Not a single sub sample favored the death penalty, not even Donald Trump voters," said executive director Andrew Villeneuve.
Some 82% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans were against the death penalty. And by a slim margin, the largest group of Trump voters, 48% percent were also opposed.
Leonid Milkin's entire family was murdered in 2006.
In January he told KIRO-7 he disagrees with those fighting to abolish the death penalty.
"They're betraying victims and they're basically helping the murderers get away with murder."
Redmond Sen. Manka Dhingra is a prosecutor who is changed her mind on the death penalty.
"A verdict in a death penalty case is not closure, because there are appeals, and then there are appeals, and then there are retrials and there's resentencing."
A vote against the death penalty is usually considered to be a political risk. But survey's show lawmakers may have more leeway with voters, said Tacoma representative Laurie Jinkins, "Voters believe strongly that this is a very moral issue and they don't actually have judgement against their legislator no matter how they decide on this."
Meanwhile Gov. Jay Inslee continues his moratorium on the death penalty, which means no one will be executed while he is in office.
Cox Media Group
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