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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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The Texas legislature is considering a proposal that would expand the state into areas of neighboring New Mexico.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows has ordered a study to examine a proposal first raised this year in the New Mexico Legislature to allow counties in the state that share a border with Texas to become part of the Lone Star State instead.
Burrows told Newsweek: "Southeast New Mexico deserves a real voice in its own future, not one dictated by [state capital] Santa Fe. It’s a conservative, energy-rich region with a fierce independent streak, and West Texas has shown what’s possible when you respect oil and gas, protect property rights, and trust local communities.
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"This conversation is ultimately about culture, opportunity, and the right to choose a path that reflects the shared values of the Permian and Delaware basins. I look forward to this discussion in the new House select committee.”
Why It Matters
If Texas gained more counties, it would affect the partisan alignment of both Texas and New Mexico. Texas is reliably Republican and voted for President Donald Trump with 56.1 percent of the vote in the 2024 presidential election while, in contrast, former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris won 51.9 percent of the New Mexico vote share that year.
An expansion into New Mexico would add oil revenue from the Permian Basin to Texas, adding to its economy and detracting, in turn, from New Mexico's.
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What To Know
The proposal was first introduced by New Mexico Republicans Randall Pettigrew and Jimmy Mason. Under their proposal, House Joint Resolution 10, at least 15 percent of voters in three or more counties would need to sign a petition requesting that secession be put on the ballot for 2026.
A previous similar effort was launched by Republican State Senator Cliff Pirtle in 2021, but it failed to pass the state Senate rules committee.
It comes after a report predicted that Texas will become the most populous state in the Union by 2045. Annexing parts of New Mexico would only increase the numbers who call the Lone Star State home.
What People Are Saying
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said on X in February: "Texas would gladly welcome Lea County back to Texas, where it rightfully belongs."
Lea County Democratic Party vice chair Clayburn Griffin told the Albuquerque Journal: “Representative Pettigrew has always wasted time with partisan nonsense like this. I wish he’d work with his colleagues to address issues people care about, like making life more affordable for working families. Like most Republicans, he’s only looking for ways to divide us instead of doing the work he was elected to do. Real leaders bring people together.”
What Happens Next
For any proposal to go into effect, people in the affected counties would have to vote in favor of it and there would also have to be an act of Congress to approve it.
Update 3/31/26 4:07 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Dustin Burrows.
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