Texas Secession Movement Gets New Candidate for Sheriff

A new candidate for sheriff in Texas has pledged to support the state’s secession from the union.
In Bexar County, Sheriff Javier Salazar is facing competition from Nathan Buchanan. The challenger, a peace officer who has described himself as a business owner, has signed the Texas First Pledge.
“He firmly believes that power belongs to the people, not the government, a conviction that resonates with the sentiments of Article 1 Section 2 of the Texas Constitution,” Buchanan’s profile on Take Texas Back reads. “This belief underpins every decision he makes and every policy he advocates.”
The Texas First pledge calls to put the interests of Texans before any nation, state or political entity and work toward the secession of the state as an independent nation if the majority of people vote for that.
Newsweek reached out to Buchanan for comment via email.
If Buchanan defeats Salazar to become the next Bexar County sheriff, he would support letting Texans vote for secession, according to Texas Nationalist Movement President Daniel Miller.
“Texans are tired of politicians like Sheriff Salazar promising to protect our Southern border while endorsing candidates who continue to leave our southern border open to whoever wants to come through,” Miller said in a statement. “Texas First candidates will put the needs of Texans ahead of political power and greed.”
Miller also said Buchanan wants to fix the border crisis and is “not someone who is buddying up with out-of-touch feds who continue to ignore the needs of our state.”
Newsweek reached out to Salazar for comment via email.
The Texas Nationalist Movement, which is pushing for the state to leave the United States, said it has nearly 621,000 active supporters and is the third-largest political organization in Texas after the Republican and Democratic parties. But political scientists question whether the state has the legal authority to secede.
“I do not think that leaving the union is feasible, for Texas or any other state,” Paul Beck, a professor emeritus of political science at The Ohio State University, told Newsweek. “For one thing, U.S. military bases would close in the departing state. And there would have to be other transfers of facilities and money out of the exiting state. It is a rhetorical position, not a real issue.”
However, Miller previously said that support for Texas’ secession would surge if Vice President Kamala Harris becomes president next year.
“If Harris wins, expect TEXIT support to surge,” he said. “Texans are fed up with Washington’s interference, and Harris’ policies will likely continue this trend, fueling the desire for independence.
“Texans are ready to control their own future and are tired of federal overreach. The fight for independence is on, and we’re not backing down.”