Three men scheduled for execution as US death penalty numbers increase

Despite a nationwide shift toward greater opposition to capital punishment, Texas continues to drive the upward trend in executions. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the state carried out 13 executions in 2023, the highest annual total among all states and an increase from the nine executions recorded the previous year. The rise comes as public opinion polls show a decline in support for the death penalty, with a 2024 Pew Research Center survey indicating that only 55 percent of Americans now favor its use, down from 71 percent a decade earlier.

Legislators in several states have introduced bills to halt or limit the death penalty, and a growing number of advocacy groups have filed legal challenges citing concerns over wrongful convictions and racial disparities. In contrast, Texas has maintained its existing capital‑punishment statutes and has not enacted a moratorium, citing the state's “law‑and‑order” policies and the perceived deterrent effect of executions. As other jurisdictions move toward abolition or suspension, Texas remains the primary contributor to the nation’s rising execution numbers, underscoring a stark divergence between public sentiment and state‑level policy.