SANTA FE, N.M. – Individual New Mexicans often leave the state and move to Texas, but now there’s talk of entire counties doing something similar.

A legislative proposal that got little attention in New Mexico is now getting plenty more in Texas with lawmakers in the Lone Star State looking into the possibility of annexing some New Mexico counties.

House leaders in Texas have started the process of laying out legislative priorities for their session starting in January 2027, and that includes researching the ramifications of some New Mexico counties seceding and joining their state.

“I think in the next four weeks or so we’re going to start huddling in Austin as a committee and lining up this issue,” said Rep. Carl Tepper, a Republican representing Lubbock in the state legislature.

He says some New Mexico counties, including Lea and Roosevelt, could be targets. Lea, in particular, is known for its lucrative oil and gas reserves and is considered a prize in the eyes of Tepper.

“I’d love to get them over here,” he said.

While the idea of some counties being more Texan than New Mexican has been a running joke for a while, this idea took on new life thanks to House Joint Resolution 10, which was introduced in Santa Fe during the legislative session earlier this year.

It didn’t get any traction this past winter at the Roundhouse, but now it’s getting a new look from lawmakers across the state border who say it’s more serious than it may first appear.

“But, you know, have no doubt, those legislators in New Mexico are taking it seriously. We all get a chuckle out of it, and it’s a fun issue, but those legislators in New Mexico are taking it seriously,” said Rep. Tepper. “I know [Texas House Speaker Dustin] Burrows very well. He doesn’t take on an issue like this for jokes and giggles.”

One New Mexico state representative who co-sponsored HJR10 told KOB 4 he doesn’t believe it will happen, but the goal was to send a message to New Mexico that certain parts of the state have been ignored for too long.

“You know, I feel in my heart that it would never happen,” said Republican Rep. Jimmy Mason, who represents parts of Lea, Eddy, and Chaves counties. “But hopefully it will give us some traction in negotiating what we feel is a little fairer treatment to our constitutents in Southeast New Mexico.”

The other co-sponsor, Rep. Randall Pettigrew, a Republican from Lea Co., reiterated the notion that this was introduced quickly to make a statement, but much more work would have to be done going forward.

“To be clear, this joint resolution was introduced with no conversation occurring with municipal or county leadership in any county.  Those conversations would be critical,” he said in a statement to KOB 4.

Any county secession would require legislative action in both Texas and New Mexico in addition to approval from Congress.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, a Democrat, whose congressional district contains at least a portion of every county on the eastern border of our state, laughed at the idea this would ever come to fruition.

“I think, once again, what we are seeing from Texas is people want to fight about things that aren’t real and don’t make an immediate difference,” she said.