Exploring Texas’ Tragic Love Affair with the Death Penalty

It's one of the hottest debated topics in the state of Texas, and with good reason.

The death penalty. It's not something that's handed out lightly, and the sentence, along with the executions, has slowed significantly in recent years.

The history of it in Texas is fascinating, though, so I thought I'd break it down a bit here.

How Many People Have Been Executed In Texas

Going back to just 1982, there have been 594 people executed via the death penalty. That ranks as the highest number of executions of any state by far. There have already been three executions in 2025, with another scheduled to happen later in May.

279 of those 594 executions happened between the years of 2001-2014, with Rick Perry as governor of Texas. In 2000 alone, 40 inmates were executed. By comparison, 36 people have been executed in the state since 2019, and that number includes the upcoming execution.

The Number Of Death Penalty Sentences Has Decreased

Part of the reason we've seen fewer executions in Texas is that fewer death sentences have been imposed in cases. Between 1999-2004, a staggering 197 death penalty sentences were handed down in Texas courts.

From 2005-current, only 143 sentences have been imposed. Only one has been handed down in 2025 so far, however, there are cases that are active that carry death as a potential penalty.

Since Governor Greg Abbott took office in 2015, death penalty sentences have significantly dropped, with the highest being in 2018, when seven death sentences were imposed.

Breakdown Of Who Is Executed In Texas

This is one of the things that many people point to when they talk about the death penalty and it being unfair in Texas, and the numbers are there to back it up. When you break it down by race and gender, it is very disproportionate according to TCADP.

Over just the last five years, roughly 70% of death penalty sentences handed down have been to people of color. Over 40% were imposed on Black defendants.

Who Is Currently On Death Row In Texas

According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), there are 172 people currently sitting on death row. 165 of those inmates are males, while 7 of them are females.

The breakdown from above certainly applies here, as 75% of those inmates are of color. A touch over 47% of those inmates are Black, while nearly 27% are Hispanic. Those numbers skew a bit when it comes to women on death row, as four of the seven females are white.

Read More: Dangerous Texas Prison Manufactures An Unexpected Product

Which Counties In Texas Have The Most Inmates On Death Row

Harris County leads the way with 64 sitting on "the row", and it's not close after that. Dallas County and Tarrant County each have 13 to tie for the second most. Those three counties, however, account for more than half the inmates awaiting execution.

Out of the 254 counties in Texas, fewer than 20% of them account for the entire death row population.

Will Texas Eventually Abolish The Death Penalty

There is a precedent for getting rid of the death penalty altogether, as 11 states have abandoned the death penalty in recent years, while 23 states, along with the District of Columbia, do not allow the death penalty.

Does that mean Texas will get rid of it? I would say that's unlikely, but there is mounting pressure from some groups to follow in the other states' footsteps that have gotten rid of it. Back in 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium on executions. They currently have the most people sitting on death row, with 589 inmates.