A proposal out of Texas to study whether some New Mexico counties could potentially join the state of Texas has triggered a surprisingly emotional response from New Mexico’s top Democratic leaders — and exposed a political nerve that Santa Fe clearly did not want touched.
Earlier this week, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows directed a Texas legislative committee to study the possibility of adding “one or more contiguous counties of New Mexico” to the state of Texas. The committee has been instructed to study the constitutional, legal, fiscal, and economic feasibility of such a move and outline what steps would be required at both the state and federal levels.
Burrows framed the idea as a conversation about representation and economic alignment, particularly in the oil- and gas-producing Permian Basin region that stretches across southeastern New Mexico and West Texas.
“Southeast New Mexico deserves a real voice in its own future, not one dictated by Santa Fe,” Burrows said in a statement, pointing to the region’s energy production, property rights concerns, and cultural alignment with West Texas.
The proposal is still in the early stages, with Texas lawmakers expected to study the issue and present findings during the next Texas legislative session in 2027. Any actual boundary change would require approval from the New Mexico Legislature, the Texas Legislature, and the U.S. Congress — meaning the proposal is far from becoming reality.
But the mere suggestion was enough to spark sharp reactions from New Mexico Democrats, including House Speaker Javier Martínez and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office.
Martínez responded with a statement that sounded more like a social media post than a formal statement from the leader of the New Mexico House of Representatives.
“I suggest that Speaker Burrows get offline, touch some grass, and get his own House in order,” Martínez said, before launching into criticism of Texas and national Republicans over grocery prices, healthcare costs, and energy prices.
Meanwhile, Gov. Lujan Grisham’s office also dismissed the idea but issued a defensive statement emphasizing that New Mexico would remain “fully intact,” while also pivoting to methane emissions comparisons between Texas and New Mexico.
“We have every intention of keeping the great state of New Mexico fully intact. This is not a serious proposal, but Texas can study it all they want,” said Michael Coleman, the governor’s communications director, who then added that Texas should study New Mexico’s methane regulations, per KOAT 7.
The intensity of the response raised eyebrows among some observers, given that Texas is currently only studying the idea — not moving forward with any annexation proposal.
Still, the conversation touches on a very real political tension within New Mexico: southeastern New Mexico produces a massive share of the state’s oil and gas revenue, generating billions of dollars that fund state government, schools, and infrastructure across New Mexico, while the region often finds itself politically outnumbered by lawmakers from Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Republican State Rep. Randall Pettigrew of Lea County acknowledged those frustrations but said he wants to solve the issue within New Mexico rather than leaving the state.
“At the end of the day, we’re in New Mexico,” Pettigrew said. “I was born in New Mexico, raised here, have a business here, and became a state rep because I love this state. I want to fix the issues within this state.”
For now, Texas lawmakers are only studying the idea. But judging by the reaction from Santa Fe, the mere suggestion that southeastern New Mexico might have options appears to have struck a nerve in the Roundhouse.
And that reaction may end up fueling the conversation more than the proposal itself.
New Texico or bust 😂🌶️
After the Little Tyrunt give the land west of the Rio Grande to Arizona and the land east of the Rio Grande you Texas. New Mexico is far too corrupt to remain a State.
I would welcome going back to God’s country, TEXAS. NM is a horrible place to live and that rests squarely to the DemoNcrats running it into the ground. There’s too much government corruption and too many “woke” politicians running the state. Too much generational welfare, crime and illegal aliens. Time to go to Texas and back to common sense.
Well said, after the demonrats gerrymandered the south part of the state to try and destroy our conservative (and realistic) base, we are fighting even harder to change to a state government that believes in individual control of their future, not a freebie government control. Total democrat control is what keeps us at the bottom of good lists and makes possible Texas annexation look viable. I would still rather fix our state instead so all you conservatives that don’t vote, get off your butts and do so.
I couldn’t have said it better.
Go go we want a better state.
Think where the money comes from in this state!!!!. Of course not counting the welfare..
Republican State Rep. Randall Pettigrew of Lea County acknowledged those frustrations but said he wants to solve the issue within New Mexico rather than leaving the state…
Doubtful NM can be fixed. Federal govt and State govt are the largest employers followed by Universities/schools, and national labs…then Alsups. Those folks working for the govt are primarily gonna vote for those that promise to keep their government spending waste at a maximum to ensure they keep their fat cat do nothing jobs.
What would Santa Fe do without the money from the oil patch? Tax the rich?
Tax the trial lawyers at 60 percent. they have plenty of money. Let them pay their FAIR SHARE.
I live in Quay County, would Love to be apart of Texas. Lower grocery, taxes, fuel as in gas, propane etc. Let’s go!!
Well Joe and others like Joe need to move to Texas. If you Try to help New Mexico things would be better
if MLG and Javier are representing us we are defenseless. They are clueless. If NM was governed properly this would never be an issue. moving those counties to Texas is the way to go. Enough of the money blowing fools that spend spend spend in Santa Fe and accomplish NOTHING. Go for it southern NM. Go with texas. let the liberal dopes in Santa Fe decide how they will fund their 11 billion dollar budget without oil money, which pays HALF the state budget. its time to face financial reality democrats. can you do that ? NO. THINGS ARE BIGGER AND BETTER IN TEXAS
Harding county. I have called left a message. Harding county a must.
since NM voters are too weak to give the politicians in Santa Fe a wake up call, its Texas who calls them out. Now MLG plays defense. Dems hate oil. they regulate it and tax it to death. Money goes where it is appreciated and respected. Thank you Texas. Save us from ourselves. Start flying Texas flags in southern NM. That will make MLG and Javier very happy. Stand up with Texas and get off your knees in NM. to MLG – NO QUEENS. you’ve failed and we want better.
When a state is only concerned with far left ideas and do not even allow conservatives to speak at the state house we all know NM is doomed to be a mirror of the California failing state
The best way, to deal with this is for eastern New Mexico to become its own state. We could call it New Texas! My thoughts on this are, 1. When Texas was made a state, they were threatened and bribed to give up their land, which included eastern New Mexico to the Rio Grande. 2. All of this was done without a vote of the people living there. 3. This would ultimately lead to the Supreme Court. To summarize: Eastern New Mexico has the financial resources to become its own state. Because both states would have to agree on New Mexico becoming part of Texas, this will never happen. New Mexico will never agree. I believe all of the counties involved would vote to become an independent state. No vote of the residents at the time took place when Texas gave the land to the federal government. It’s a good argument and I think we could win in court. It’s worth a try, the people in Santa Fe don’t care about us!!!
GOD BLESS TEXAS. NM wants Grisham-teenth. like Juneteenth. Freedom from oppression. no more stockholm syndrome NM !!
FLY TEXAS FLAGS NM !! we can do better ! a LOT better.
The move would leave New Mexico broke.
And the Dems would have no money to give to the non productive, their voter base.
The hypocritical little tyrant isn’t going to let her cash cow go that easily! Nor the next Democratic Governor
Prefer Texas!!
I think Texas should annex the whole state except for Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Wall those off and let them eat each other and abort themselves. Do all of us a favor. When two cities control more than half the votes in the legislature the rest of us have no representation, no say. It’s a disgrace. Thanks to the gerrymandering by the democrats. The republicans in these two towns are no better. They come up with no candidates for positions and fail to remove a loser for a mayor three times. I am pretty sure most of them are democrats registered as republicans.
Add Lincoln County to the list
FYI,
If we think it is bad now how Santa Fe and Democrat’s hate Oil and Gas, just wait if that old senile Deb Haaland were to get in. She cannot see straight but she gets really crossed eyed on Oil and Gas. She Hares it and all it stands for.
Great idea . Democrats are turning our State into a new Mexico .
It would serve New Mexico better if Texas would absorb that shitbowl called the roundhouse and take the corrupt Loserjan regime with it! If New Mexico had decent leadership this query about landgrabs wouldn’t have come up! New Mexico needs to quit voting in politicians due to their sirname and “tradition” of voting dembocrap! WAKE UP!!
That demonic governor don’t want to lose her money so she can fund her gurus raises, have her house parties, fix her northern state roads, fund free daycare, raise taxes, she can fund her people with the riseing cost of living but she can’t do it with the southern counties that are actually making the money for her. Eddy county’s fuel is higher than any other county in NM and we are making the most money to fund all her BS.
I pray we get annexed in Texas, they take care of there citizens. We were once a part of Texas and there’s going to be a loop hole and she won’t be able to stop it.
Let the people vote on this, it’s our lives not hers, she works for us, we are her boss and she has no legal right to answer for us. Let the people decide in a fair election, watched and legally counted closely because we all know she hid uncounted votes in storage. If she can change the vote she will. Santa Fe is corrupted, the governor is corrupted. Just sayin