Matthew McConaughey is apparently taking some action as he considers running for Texas governor.
According to a Sunday report from Politico, the Oscar-winning actor and beloved Texas native has been making calls to influential people within the state’s political realm, taking their temperature on his possible campaign.
Among those McConaughey has been in contact with is a “deep-pocketed moderate Republican and energy CEO,” according to multiple people familiar with the conversations who spoke to Politico.
The actor for months has been publicly toying with the idea of running for the state’s top job, but the notion was swiftly dismissed by some as just a PR stunt. However, a poll conducted last month by The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler indicated McConaughey could be a viable candidate.
If he were to throw his Stetson into the ring and run for governor, the poll found 45 percent of Texas registered voters would vote for McConaughey, 33 percent would vote for incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott and 22 percent would vote for someone else. The poll was conducted April 6-13, surveying 1,126 registered voters, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.92 percentage points, according to the newspaper.
Both Politico and The Dallas Morning News make clear it would not be a cakewalk for McConaughey to run and it could have a significant adverse impact on his Hollywood career. Still, the possible run should not be completely dismissed as nonsensical.
“I’m a little more surprised that people aren’t taking him more seriously, honestly,” Brendan Steinhauser, an Austin-based GOP strategist told Politico. “Celebrity in this country counts for a lot… it’s not like some C-list actor no one likes. He has an appeal.”
McConaughey, who lives in Austin with his wife Camila and three children, has not discussed what his campaign might look like, nor has he stated what party he would run under. A rep for the actor could not be immediately reached for comment.
The 63-year-old Abbott will be seeking a third term in 2022.
