The Texas Republican Party, established in 1989, is pushing for a referendum in the upcoming legislative session to determine if Texas should reassert its independence. This call was included in the 2024 Legislative Priorities and Platform released on June 7 after being voted upon by Texas Republicans at a convention in San Antonio from May 23 to 25.
Advocates of Texan nationalism have long sought a referendum for Texas to secede and become an independent country, as it was from 1836 to 1845. Recent tensions between Texan and federal authorities, particularly concerning immigration and education, have fueled this movement.
The Texas GOP’s Platform Plank 203 titled “Texas Independence” insists on passing a bill for a referendum in the next election allowing Texas voters to decide on reclaiming their status as an independent nation.
Another section, Plank 20 under “state sovereignty,” opposes federally-mandated laws that impede Texas’ 10th Amendment rights and reaffirms Texas’ right to secede.
The Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) advocates for Texas’ exit from the U.S. Its website, campaigning under a TEXIT-style initiative, considers the GOP platform’s inclusion of a referendum as a significant move with potential lasting impact on the TEXIT campaign.
The TNM believes the referendum’s inclusion will sway hesitant legislators and mobilize pro-TEXIT voters in the next legislative session.
In 2022, the Republican Party of Texas advocated for an independent referendum at its Houston convention. However, a bill proposing a state referendum, introduced by then-Representative Bryan Slaton in 2023, failed to advance past the State Affairs committee.
Post the San Antonio Convention, Abraham George and D’Rinda Randy were elected as chair and vice-chair of the Texas GOP, both signing TNM’s ‘Texas First’ pledge in support of Texan Independence.
Tensions between Texan officials and federal authorities have been mounting since the beginning of this year, with conflicts over various issues. In January, the Supreme Court allowed the removal of razor wire ordered by Governor Abbott along the Texas-Mexico border by federal agents. In May, Abbott advised educational institutions to disregard the Biden Administration’s Title IX update on gender identity discrimination.