The Cape Gazette asked the candidates a series of questions including this one on the death penalty.
6. GOP lawmakers plan to introduce legislation keeping the death penalty in Delaware. Will you support it?
Peterson: No, I will oppose any such move! The one thing we should kill in the name of the people of Delaware is the death penalty. Liberals, libertarians, conservatives and thoughtful people in between are all coming to the same conclusion: the death penalty should be abolished. It is not a deterrent, it is inordinately expensive, and it is applied unjustly and disproportionately to people of color and the poor. My opponent believes that the death penalty keeps police and correctional officers safer. In fact, the deadliest states for law enforcement officers in recent years are all states that actively use the death penalty. In the name of justice, heinous crimes should be met with severe punishment. I support sentences of life in prison without parole.
Schwartzkopf: I have not talked to the GOP lawmakers about this issue but I have read the newspaper articles detailing their intent. Let’s be clear about what the State Supreme Court said in their ruling. They did not strike down the death penalty itself as being unconstitutional. They ruled that the relationship between the jury and the judge was unconstitutional. I suspect that, when the General Assembly convenes in January, there will be a bill introduced by the supporters of keeping the death penalty to make the law constitutional again by directing the jury to make the final decision. If that bill is introduced, I would push for it to be a unanimous jury making that decision. I also suspect that the repeal supporters will introduce legislation to remove the death penalty entirely from the code like they tried and failed to do this past year.