Matthew McConaughey Has A Plan To Become Governor Of Texas

Matthew McConaughey looks like he is gearing up for a run to be Governor of Texas. And with that he has an approach he thinks will work

By Tristan Zelden | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

Matthew McConaughey

Actors have gone into politics before, and vice versa. Matthew McConaughey is the latest one in the mix and has been talking about running for governor of Texas for a while. Now he seems to be getting more serious.

Matthew McConaughey, if he follows through with these plans, wants to run on a “centrist” platform in the 2022 election, pitting him against the current governor Greg Abbott. With the platform, it is unclear which party he would run under. Some people who aim for the middle tend to still run under Republican or Democrat tickets; those two established parties give a candidate the best chance. But it is uncertain if the 51-year-old Texas-born star will go under one of those two or as an Independent.

What kicked this back up in the air was a poll done by The Dallas Morning News about the current governor and his potential superstar rival, Matthew McConaughey. While Abbott was in the lead, it did start speculation that McConaughey could rival the Republican politician. Texas is known as a red state with its major Republican presence, so it’s unclear if a centrist platform would be a benefit or detriment if the actor chose that route. 

The scuttlebutt in the world of politics is that Matthew McConaughey is talking to people established in Texas about running for office. He is reportedly getting rich and powerful people’s thoughts on his chances if he decides to go for it, soliciting opinions from the political elite to determine if a run is actually a viable move. 

Matthew McConaughey

Speaking on the Commune podcast, Matthew McConaughey spoke about his choice of a platform as he potentially takes a chance at running in his home state. He talked about how most people lean centrist, at least more “than we’re led to believe.” He continued on taking shots at the far right and left, calling them ‘militia pirate groups” lamenting that rather than being scared, people in the middle should “kick ‘em off the boat.”

With the United States becoming more and more divided due to political differences over the past five years, Matthew McConaughey weighed in further while on the podcast. When asked if the country could be united, he spoke about how change must be up to individuals. He did deliver his optimism that things could change for the better, arguing that unity among the populace was more important than specific policies or signing bills into law. 

Despite his status in the U.S. and around the globe as an award-winning actor, Matthew McConaughey still keeps his roots in Texas. While he’s starred in major Hollywood films like Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi drama from 2014, Interstellar, or HBO hits like the first season of True Detective, he and his wife live in Austin with their three children. They didn’t leave their home state to go off to the Hollywood Hills. After promoting his book, Greenlights, over last year Matthew McConaughey has taken a bit of a step back on the acting front. His only credited acting gig is in the animated movie Sing 2, which will release on December 22. It co-stars Taron Egerton (Rocketman), Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line), and Scarlett Johansson (Avengers). That clear schedule means Matthew McConaughey has the availability to potentially run against Governor Abbott next year.