For years, Americans have been lectured that Democrat prosecutors are the “humane” option. You know, the kind who smile warmly while crime rises. But a new study suggests that this so-called compassion comes with a body count.
According to research by Vanderbilt University economist Panka Bencsik and Wellesley College professor Tyler Giles, counties that narrowly elect Republican prosecutors see a major drop in deaths among young men. When a Republican barely beats a Democrat, all-cause mortality among men ages 20 to 29 falls by 6.6 percent.
Yes, that means voting Republican can literally save lives. Funny how that works.
The researchers wanted to see if there was a link between a prosecutor’s politics and community death rates. Since prosecutors decide what charges to file and how aggressively to pursue them, their philosophy matters. Republicans are usually labeled “tough on crime,” while Democrats are famous for being… let’s call it “flexible.”
Using data from 2010 to 2019, the study compared counties where Republicans barely won to those where they barely lost. The main finding was clear: a Republican prosecutor leads to a significant reduction in mortality among young men, the group most entangled with the criminal justice system.
And what’s driving that drop? Fewer firearm-related deaths. The study found a reduction in firearm homicides among Black men and smaller reductions in firearm suicides and accidents among White men. Turns out consequences work better than hashtags.
The researchers did note that more Black men go to prison under Republican prosecutors, but that explains only about one-third of the mortality reduction and doesn’t explain the drop among White men at all. So it’s not just about incarceration. It’s about preventing violent offenders and people in crisis from having access to guns.
Republicans, according to the study, tend to pursue more charges and convictions. Those convictions often bring restrictions on gun ownership and household firearm access. Translation: fewer dangerous people with firearms equals fewer funerals. Revolutionary idea, right?
This comes after years of left-wing media attacking Republicans for being “tough on crime.” In 2023, The New York Times framed GOP efforts to rein in progressive prosecutors as “Republicans pounce.” Writer Emily Bazelon painted Democrats as noble reformers and Republicans as villains for insisting the law still matters.
The Los Angeles Times editorial board called Republican efforts an “ominous strategy to thwart criminal justice reform — and democracy.” Apparently, enforcing laws is now anti-democratic.
And in 2022, TIME Magazine contributor Udi Ofer warned that “tough-on-crime messaging could have devastating consequences.”
Well, the study suggests the devastating consequences come when Democrats win and soft-on-crime policies take over.
So while the left keeps insisting that leniency is kindness, the data says otherwise. Republican prosecutors reduce deaths, especially among young men, by limiting access to firearms for violent offenders and people in crisis. That’s not cruelty — that’s common sense.
In the end, this study delivers an inconvenient truth: being tough on crime isn’t heartless. It’s lifesaving. And that’s a pretty positive outcome for anyone who actually cares about their community.
