Texas House Speaker orders study of a potential annexation of parts of New Mexico
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has ordered a new goverment oversight committee to study the potential annexation of parts of New Mexico into Texas, focusing on one or more contiguous New Mexico counties and examining border logistics, feasibility, and legal implications.The move follows a NM legislative proposal by Rep. Randall Pettigrew that sought to let certain NM counties vote on secession, and Pettigrew has publicly floated welcoming Lea County back to Texas. In New Mexico, House Joint resolution 10 would require 15% of voters in three or more contiguous counties to sign a petition to place secession on the 2026 ballot, with additional hurdles including county approval and presidential sign-off; even if approved, changes would likely not take effect before 2027. While burrows’ oversight directive signals continued Texas policymaking and oversight as the state grows, analysts suggest the actual likelihood of border shifts is uncertain and remains a matter of speculation, possibly appealing to pro-secession voices in Texas.
Texas House Speaker orders study of a potential annexation of parts of New Mexico
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 officially 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,” said Pettigrew 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 potential addition of New Mexico territory, and if it was legally feasible, according to Fox 7 News.
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“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.
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, if they were to occur, 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,” reported the Texas Tribune.
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