Florida has executed 15 people this year, setting a new state record since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, with two more executions scheduled before the end of November. The previous record of eight executions in a calendar year was set in 1984 and 2014.
Critics accuse Governor Ron DeSantis of using executions to bolster his political ambitions, particularly a potential run for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. In 2023, when DeSantis announced his presidential campaign, six executions were carried out after none in the previous three years. After his candidacy failed, only one execution occurred in 2024.
“This is what happens when a government loses its conscience. When mercy is replaced with machinery. When killing becomes routine and our leaders tout the body count as an achievement,” said Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty following the execution of Norman Mearle Grim on Wednesday.
DeSantis has offered no public explanation for the surge. The Death Penalty Information Center noted that Florida accounts for nearly 40% of all US executions this year, with Texas next at five. Five of the 15 executed were military veterans.
“One of the most troubling things is the secrecy about why we are seeing this incredibly high number of executions,” said Robin Maher, executive director of the DPIC. “Floridians are in the complete dark about why the state is investing so much money and energy into executing prisoners this year.”
