A strong majority of Texas voters do not want the Lone Star State to secede from the union, according to a Rasmussen poll released Friday.
Three quarters of respondents in the survey said Texas should remain part of the United States. Less than two in ten said they would vote to secede.
The poll comes on the heels of controversial remarks by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. At a Tea Party Tax Day protest on Wednesday, the Republican appeared to leave the door open to secession.
“We’ve got a great union,” he said. “There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we’re a pretty independent lot to boot.”
Also in the poll, more than three in ten said Texas has the right to secede. The Texas Constitution, however, does not include language stating the Lone Star State can secede.