New Mexico
Political divisions fuel push to have Texas annex part of New Mexico
WASHINGTON — Everything is bigger in Texas, but could the state get even larger? Texas lawmakers have begun exploring whether to annex a part of neighboring New Mexico, where many residents say they would prefer to join the Lone Star State. However, key officials in New Mexico are dismissing the idea.
State Rep. Carl Tepper, R-Lubbock, told Spectrum News that Texans have a lot in common culturally with those from the eastern portion of New Mexico. He said hospitals, companies and universities in his community have many people from there.
“These are oil producers. They’re cattlemen. They’re farmers. They are fiercely independent. They don’t rely on government. Texas is a smaller government state, less regulations, less taxes,” Tepper said. “They feel much closer to us than they do the government in Santa Fe.”
And that is why he believes the Texas Legislature should explore annexing a part of New Mexico.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, directed the governmental oversight committee to study the constitutional and economic implications of adding a couple of counties in southeast New Mexico to Texas. The Republican state lawmakers in Lea and Roosevelt counties in New Mexico, just west of Lubbock, have expressed an interest in leaving their state.
In a statement to Spectrum News, Burrows said, in part, “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.”
Tepper agreed. He said it would be “historic” if the Republican-led Legislature could pull it off.
“There’s a vast amount of conservative voters out there. People who are conservative economically, with their faith, and are very frustrated with the core urban high-density areas and the voters there ruling over vast portions of the geographic areas of these states,” Tepper said.
“If we could find a way to essentially liberate these New Mexico counties into Texas, I think we would also be cutting a path for other counties that are frustrated with their centralized governments being overbearing in other states and bringing them over to more conservative states,” Tepper continued.
New Mexico Democrats are dismissing the idea. A spokesperson for the governor reportedly called it “not serious,” and the New Mexico House speaker said on social media, “Dude, over my dead body, man. No way, no way.”
Legal experts said under the U.S. Constitution, not only would New Mexico and Texas need to agree on annexation, but Congress as well.
“It’s very, very hard to imagine winning that trifecta,” said Sanford Levinson, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. “It’s hard for me to imagine that New Mexico would be delighted to lose this population, even if the Democrats who run the state probably have no love lost for the Republicans who want to leave.”
Levinson said one big reason the idea is a non-starter is that because of the population change under the new borders, New Mexico would likely lose a congressional seat and Texas would gain one.
He added that conservatives in Oregon and Illinois are also looking at leaving their states.
“The polarization that we talk so much about is found as much within states as among states and the United States, that if you look at practically any state in the union, you find these sharp divisions,” Levinson said.
And despite the sharp divisions, new state lines are hard to draw.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Albuquerque police are shutting down Interstate 25 northbound near Avenida Cesar Chavez after a two people were seriously injured in a crash.
The crash happened at about 7 p.m. at the Coal exit.
Police said crews took two people with serious injuries to a local hospital for treatment.
Detectives are investigating the crash, and police said traffic on Interstate 25 northbound remains open but drivers should expect delays near Coal.
Acres: 2673
Start Date: 4/20/2026
Location: 15 Miles East of Glenwood, NM
Personnel: 197
Containment: 0 %
Cause: Lightning
Summary: The Hummingbird Fire saw additional growth in the Gila Wilderness moving northeast across Iron Creek Mesa and west into Iron Creek. Wind gusts up to 35 MPH were a major safety concern throughout the day. Air tankers and helicopters were unable to support ground crews yesterday due to high winds and unsafe aerial firefighting conditions. Firefighters on the ground continued to secure spot fires from the previous shift using a combination of direct and indirect handline protecting critical values. Crews scouted additional indirect handlines to keep fire on Iron Creek Mesa in the 2024 Ridge Fire footprint. In the Willow Creek Subdivision fire crews cleared debris and completed setting up structure protection equipment in the community.
Today, as Red Flag conditions subside, firefighters will assess firing opportunities to complete the indirect handline above Willow Creek. Structure protection resources will remain in Willow Creek Subdivision with overnight staffing.
Evacuations: Level 3 “GO” Willow Creek Subdivision.
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587055259089
Closures: A Fire Closure has been issued for Hummingbird Fire.
for closure order and map visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/gila/alerts/forest-closure-hummingbird-fire
Weather: Winds are forecasted to be lighter over the fire today at 14 MPH with gusts up to 24 MPH along ridge tops. However, dry conditions with low relative humidities dipping down to 14%.
Safety: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is over the Hummingbird Fire. Reminder a TFR is a No Drone Zone and If You Fly We Can’t.
Smoke: Smoke can be seen from multiple locations across to include Willow Creek Subdivision, Gila Cliff Dwellings, Gila Valley, Gila Cliff, Truth or Consequences and Silver City.
For more information visit: https://fire.airnow.gov/.
Fire Restrictions: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in Effect
For more information visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/gila/alerts-notices.
For more information: https://nmfireinfo.com/
Public Information Officer: 2026.hummingbird@firenet.gov
Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/nmgnf-hummingbird-fire
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GilaNForest
DOÑA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – The New Mexico State Ethics Commission has filed a lawsuit against a group behind several advertisements for a controversial multi-billion-dollar data center claiming they violated state law.
The state claims in the lawsuit that Elevate New Mexico, a virginia based corporation, did not comply with the state’s Lobbyist Regulation Act. The State Ethics Commission claims Elevate New Mexico launched an undisclosed advertising campaign, that cost $2,500, to influence New Mexico Environment Department Sec. James Kenney to approve air permit applications for the construction of two natural-gas-fueled microgrid power plants associated with Project Jupiter, an AI data center in Doña Ana County.
The commission believes Elevate New Mexico acted as a lobbyist, but failed to disclose the required information about who is funding the ads. The commission has asked a judge to order the corporation to register the ad campaign as a lobbying effort with the Secretary of State and comply with disclosure requirements.
Click here to read the State Ethics Commission’s complaint.
-
Business5 minutes agoIs OpenAI Falling Further Behind in the A.I. Race?
-
Health17 minutes agoA Healthy ‘Hyperfixation Meal’ Helps You Lose Weight Faster—Without Dieting
-
Culture29 minutes agoBook Review: ‘Project Maven,’ by Katrina Manson
-
Lifestyle35 minutes agoStreet Style Look of the Week: A Work Wear Staple in Gentle Pastels
-
Education41 minutes agoGraduates Reset Ambitions in Pursuit of First Jobs
-
Technology47 minutes agoDJI’s new Mic Mini 2 adds colorful covers to help them blend in
-
World53 minutes agoCan King Charles save the ever-fracturing ‘special relationship’ after Trump anger at Starmer over Iran war?
-
Politics59 minutes agoRep Cory Mills draws first Republican challenger as sexual misconduct allegations, expulsion threat mount