Florida’s revival of death penalty fuels rise in US executions in 2023

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida speaks during a campaign event in Rochester, New Hampshire, in July. He has made law and order a central pillar of his campaign. Photograph: Charles Krupa/AP

The US saw a rise in executions in 2023 as a result of Florida’s revival of the death penalty, amid Ron DeSantis’s “tough on crime” campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

DeSantis scheduled six executions this year – the first time the state has judicially killed people since 2019 and the largest number in almost a decade. Florida also handed down five new death sentences this year, more than any other state.