WILL TEXAS SECEDE?

On this page · 5

1. What the market is actually pricing
2. The legal reality
3. Why the market keeps relisting
4. How to trade it
5. Pick your venue

Short answer: Polymarket consistently prices Texas seceding from the United States at roughly 2%. Real money treats TEXIT as a near-impossibility on any fixed-year deadline, even when secession rhetoric spikes in the news cycle.

Polymarket has no open "Will Texas secede?" contract right now — the last version expired without resolving YES and has not been relisted. The live Texas political market above is the closest tradable proxy for how real money reads Texas politics today. Previous secession contracts topped out around 2% YES.

Every year or two, Polymarket lists a new version of "Will Texas secede from the United States?" The market never resolves YES. It never gets close. And yet it keeps trading — because the question is the most recognizable in American politics, and the price tells you something real: traders, with their own money on the line, think the answer is no by about 98 to 2.

What the market is actually pricing

Polymarket's Texas secession contracts resolve based on whether Texas formally leaves the United States by a specified date — typically end-of-year 2026 or 2028. "Formally leaves" means a binding act of secession recognized either by the federal government or by international recognition. A symbolic legislative resolution doesn't resolve YES.

The result: even during peak TEXIT news cycles, YES shares rarely break 3¢. Texit odds aren't pricing whether Texans want to secede (polling has shown 20–30% express some support). They're pricing whether secession will actually happen on a fixed deadline — and the legal, military, and economic answer is overwhelmingly no.

The legal reality

The Supreme Court answered this in Texas v. White (1869): "the union between Texas and the other States was as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original States." A state cannot unilaterally leave the Union. Secession would require either (a) consent of the other states — politically impossible — or (b) revolution.

The popular myth that Texas reserved the right to secede when it joined in 1845 is false. The 1845 joint resolution annexing Texas allowed it to be divided into up to five states — not to leave. That's still in the resolution today, which is why "split Texas into five" markets occasionally appear on Polymarket too.

Why the market keeps relisting

1. It's a meme market that pays. NO shares trade at 97–99¢. If you're confident Texas isn't seceding by the deadline, you lock in a 1–3% return over the contract period.
2. It's a lottery ticket for YES. YES costs 2¢ and pays $1. If something genuinely wild happens, you make 50x.
3. Texas politics drives news cycles. Every time a Texas politician mentions secession, Polymarket gets a volume spike — even though the resolution doesn't actually move.

How to trade it

Polymarket is the only major venue listing Texas secession contracts. Kalshi has not listed one as of 2026 — the contract would need CFTC approval and the political nature makes it a longer process. For broader Texas politics, see our 2026 Senate odds tracker and Governor 2026 odds.

More: 2026 Texas Senate odds · Texas Governor 2026 odds · All political markets →

Pick your venue

Four CFTC-regulated exchanges that accept Texans (status in Texas: Available, as of 3 October 2026). Full comparison →

Frequently asked questions

Is there a real prediction market on Texas seceding?

Yes. Polymarket has listed 'Will Texas secede?' style contracts multiple times — typically resolving by a specific year, e.g. 2026 or 2028. They consistently trade at very low probabilities (low single digits) but generate steady volume because the question is iconic. Kalshi has not listed a Texas secession contract as of 2026.

What do prediction markets say about Texas seceding from the United States?

Polymarket prices on Texas secession contracts have stayed under 3% for every cycle they've been listed. Markets treat secession as a near-impossibility: it would require state action, federal acceptance, and almost certainly a constitutional crisis — none of which traders see as likely on a multi-year horizon.

Can Texas legally secede from the United States?

Almost certainly not unilaterally. The 1869 Supreme Court case Texas v. White held that no state can leave the Union without consent of the other states. The popular 'Texas reserved the right to secede when it joined in 1845' claim is a myth — the 1845 annexation resolution allowed Texas to split into up to five states, not to leave.

Has Texas ever tried to secede?

Yes — Texas seceded in 1861 to join the Confederacy. The state was militarily defeated in the Civil War and readmitted to the Union in 1870. Modern secession proposals (TEXIT, the Texas Nationalist Movement) have circulated periodically but have never passed a binding statewide vote.

How do I trade the 'Will Texas secede' market?

On Polymarket. Find the active Texas-secession event, decide whether you think the probability is too high or too low, and buy YES or NO shares. Because the market consistently prices around 1–3%, NO shares trade at 97–99¢ — meaning small downside, small upside. YES shares are cheap lottery tickets.