SANTA FE — A proposal by Texas lawmakers to study annexing parts of southeastern New Mexico drew pushback from state leaders and an unexpected response from Colorado’s governor, who suggested that if Texas wanted the southern part of New Mexico, Colorado could take the north.
The controversy began after Dustin Burrows, the Republican speaker of the Texas House, directed a legislative committee to examine the “constitutional, statutory, fiscal and economic implications” of adding one or more New Mexico counties to Texas. The study is expected to focus on Lea and Roosevelt counties, conservative and oil-producing counties in southeastern New Mexico that border Texas.
Burrows’ order followed a proposal introduced earlier this year in the New Mexico Legislature by state Reps. Randall Pettigrew and Jimmy Mason. Their measure would have allowed groups of counties to vote on leaving New Mexico and joining another state. The proposal was backed by some residents in southeastern New Mexico who argued that the region has more in common politically and economically with West Texas than with the Democratic-led government in Santa Fe. The measure never advanced and was indefinitely postponed.
Burrows later expressed support for the idea on social media, writing that Texas would “gladly welcome Lea County back to Texas, where it rightfully belongs.” He has argued that southeastern New Mexico’s conservative politics and ties to the Permian Basin make the area a natural fit for Texas.
New Mexico officials quickly rejected the proposal.
A spokesman for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the state has “every intention of keeping the great state of New Mexico fully intact” and called the Texas effort unserious.
New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez also criticized the idea, saying Texas lawmakers should focus on problems in their own state rather than trying to redraw New Mexico’s borders.
The dispute took another turn when Jared Polis responded on social media. Polis joked that if Texas wanted southeastern New Mexico, Colorado would welcome northern New Mexico, including the Santa Fe area.
“The Santa Fe area would be a great addition to Colorado,” Polis wrote, adding that Colorado would protect northern New Mexico’s culture and traditions.
The exchange revived a longstanding historical dispute. When the Republic of Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836, it claimed a large territory that included parts of present-day New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Texas relinquished those claims under the Compromise of 1850 in exchange for $10 million from the federal government.
Political commentator Paul Gessing criticized the competing proposals in a post on social media.
“They are splitting NM up like it’s a failed state,” Gessing wrote.
Despite the attention, legal experts say the chances of any border change are extremely remote. Any attempt to transfer counties from New Mexico to Texas — or to Colorado — would require approval from the affected states, Congress and likely local voters. Even supporters of the idea have acknowledged that the proposal is more symbolic than realistic.
