There are US entities which are not states although the inhabitants are US citizens. The 2 largest are DC (the District of Columbia) and Puerto Rico. Each have one representative in the US House of Representatives who can’t vote on legislation. There is no senator in the US Senate from DC or Puerto Rico because they are not states.
The population of DC as of the year 2023 is about 679,000 and of Puerto Rico is about 3,260,000.
Wyoming has about 578,000 people, and Vermont has about 646,000. So, both of those states contain fewer citizens than DC or Puerto Rico.
Why should anyone object to DC or Puerto Rico becoming states? Might it be because those territories have many people who are not completely white ? But that would be very un-American. Every American’s vote should count as one vote.