Texas Secessionists Declare Victory After 10 Independence-Backed Republicans Win House Seats

Texas secessionists have claimed victory and celebrated a “revolution in Texas politics,” after 10 Republican candidates that supported Texas seeking independence from the U.S. were elected to the state House.

The Texas Nationalist Movement, the secessionist group, told Newsweek that the 10 Republicans signed their “Texas First Pledge.” By signing this pledge, the GOP politicians have vowed to “vote for legislation and resolutions to call for a vote on Texas reasserting its status as an independent nation” and to “work toward a fair and expedient separation of Texas from the federal government” if Texans approve the referendum.

“The voice of Texas independence just got a whole lot louder. From the halls of the Legislature to local courthouses, supporters of the Texas First Pledge secured victories that will reshape our state’s political landscape,” the TNM wrote in a Facebook statement.

“This isn’t just a victory—it’s a revolution in Texas politics,” it added. “The old guard’s lies about supporting a TEXIT vote making a candidate ‘unelectable’ were shattered last night.”

Last year, State Rep. Bryan Slaton introduced a bill that would have added a secession referendum vote on the ballot, however it failed to pass the committee stage. Even if the bill would have passed, it would not be legally binding, as the U.S. constitution has no provision for a state to secede the union.

TNM President Daniel Miller told Newsweek he expects one of the 10 legislators who signed their pledge will introduce a similar bill in the next legislative session.

“This next session will likely see the Texas Independence Referendum Act filed again,” he said. “However, we’ll be advocating for and working with legislators on a whole host of policy initiatives involving the border, currency and more. All of this is because the closer we can move Texas to structurally and operationally functioning like an independent nation, the easier separation becomes once we get and win the TEXIT referendum.”

According to the TNM, the 10 elected legislators who signed the Texas First Pledge are David Lowe in House District 91, Shelley Luther in District 62, Keresa Richardson in District 61, Brent Money in District 2, A.J. Louderback in District 30, Wesley Virdell in District 53, Janis Holt in District 18, Andy Hopper in District 64, Steve Toth in District 15 and Mitch Little in District 65.

Texas once was part of Mexico until 1836 when the state won its independence, becoming the Republic of Texas. Texas remained as an independent nation until 1845, when it joined the U.S. as the 18th.

While the secessionist movement has gained strength, most Texans oppose the measure. Joshua Blan, research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, previously told Newsweek that a Texan independence could not be achieved peacefully.

“I think history has made clear that there is no plausible scenario in which Texas could peacefully extract itself from the United States, even were that the will of its populous—which there is no indication of to my knowledge,” he said.