John,
This has been a challenging year for our movement, but last week’s big news out of Oklahoma shows what we can accomplish.
In case you missed it, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt granted clemency for Tremane Wood, who had been scheduled to be executed last Thursday.
Wood did not kill anyone, but he was sentenced to death under Oklahoma’s “felony murder” rule in a case marked by prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel.
Together with our allies and partners, Conservatives Concerned helped expose the unfairness of his death sentence and galvanize public support for clemency through press conferences, media interviews, and education campaigns.
Justice prevailed in this case, but we have so much more to do in Oklahoma and across the country.
Over the last couple of years, executions have been on the rise. Some states have carried out their first executions in a decade or more. Others have authorized experimental or long-rejected methods of execution like the firing squad.
And amid these challenges, our movement lost an important partner when Equal Justice USA — where Conservatives Concerned operated since 2013 — ended its death penalty program and later all operations.
Thanks to the help of our partners and supporters, Conservatives Concerned reorganized and ensured our work could continue.
In the last several months, we have been on the ground in states across the country educating conservatives about the failed death penalty system. We’ve strengthened existing and forged new relationships with leaders who question the alignment of capital punishment with conservative values and principles.
With your generous support, we can build on these accomplishments and expand our programs in 2026.
For justice,
Demetrius Minor
Executive Director
