Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has visions of expanding Texas by annexing parts of New Mexico. The revelation comes as Burrows directed a newly created government oversight committee to analyze and assess the implications of adding “one or more contiguous counties of New Mexico” to the Lone Star State.
The idea of adding sections of New Mexico to Texas originated with a legislative proposal by a New Mexico state representative. Rep. Randall Pettigrew, a Republican from Lovington, New Mexico, introduced a constitutional amendment in February for residents of several New Mexico counties to vote on the possibility of secession. Burrows expressed interest in a post on X last month.
“Texas would gladly welcome Lea County back to Texas, where it rightfully belongs,” said Burrows.
Another Republican state representative joined Pettigrew in sponsoring House Joint Resolution 10, which would require “15% of voters in three or more contiguous counties” to sign a petition to put the secession proposal on the ballot in New Mexico’s 2026 election.
“And if we have a special election and two-thirds of the population in those counties agree and the county commissioners agree to that, and we (get) a presidential sign-off on it, we can get the hell out of New Mexico and quit being their problem,” Pettigrew said in an interview with the Albuquerque Journal.
Burrows’s directive to the oversight committee to analyze the logistics required in possibly adding parts of New Mexico to Texas, which included a study of the Texas-New Mexico border, assessing the effects on the state of the possible addition of New Mexico territory, and if it was legally feasible, according to Fox 7 News.
“Following a legislative session defined by historic solutions, it is critical the Texas House remains engaged in thoughtful policymaking and oversight as our state continues to grow and advance,” Burrows said in a statement about the work of his state’s new oversight committee.
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As for the realistic possibility that counties in New Mexico could secede from the state and join Texas, it remains to be seen. The first hurdle would be getting enough people to put the suggestion on the ballot so New Mexico residents can decide. Any changes would likely not take effect until 2027 at the earliest.
“While the Texas-New Mexico boundary is unlikely to shift next year, the proposal will likely appeal to pro-secessionists in Texas, some of whom are among Burrows’ conservative skeptics,” the Texas Tribune reported.
