Matthew McConaughey Putting Feelers Out on a Possible Run

Politico reports the actor has been making phone calls about running for Texas governor

By Liz MacGahan, Newser Staff

Posted May 16, 2021 3:31 PM CDT

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Matthew McConaughey Putting Feelers Out on a Possible Run — Will actor Matthew McConaughey throw his hat in the ring for the 2022 Texas governor race? (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

For a guy who stays out of politics, Matthew McConaughey is spending a lot of time talking about running for governor of Texas. The A-list star and Oscar-winner has never come out as a Democrat or Republican, and he hasn’t given much of a hint what his platform would be. So far, that’s a plus. A Dallas Morning News poll showed 45% of Texans would vote for him if he threw his hat (a backwards ballcap? A cowboy hat?) in the ring, per the Hollywood Reporter. But will that goodwill make it all the way to the governor’s mansion? “Everybody loves you until you take a position,” a senior Texas Republican operative told Politico.

And what position would he take? He’s only voted twice since 2012, and neither vote was in the contentious 2016 presidential election, per the Texas Tribune. He’s been photographed with rising Democrat star Beto O’Rourke but has also appeared in PSAs put out by Republican officials. He’s been an outspoken advocate for reforming gun laws, but otherwise has criticized liberals and the far right, Fox News reports. Politico reports he’s been making calls, at least one with a moderate Republican and energy CEO. But when it comes to speaking out in public, he’s only been promoting his memoir, Greenlight. (More Matthew McConaughey stories.)

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