Attorney general debate: Kamala Harris says she will ‘follow the law’ on death penalty

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Candidate Kamala Harris said in Tuesday’s debate that there was ‘work that can be done’ to improve the state’s death penalty process. But she deflected a death-penalty question to focus instead on the issue of repeat offenders, who she said were costing the state millions.

Her opponent, Steve Cooley, countered that Harris ‘did not respond to the issue of the death penalty very well at all in my opinion. And I think she wants to avoid that issue because she’s absolutely, religiously’ opposed to that issue.

Harris said Cooley was going ‘below the dignity of the office’ with his remarks.

‘I am personally opposed to the death penalty,’ she said, ‘but I will follow the law.’

Live coverage of the entire debate is available here.

-- Anthony York in Davis