Matthew McConaughey May Be Running For Texas Governor — What To Expect From His Political Campaign
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Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock As Matthew McConaughey continues to tease a run for Texas governor, a new poll says the actor is getting more and more attention to his rumored campaign.
Just 41% of voters would like to see McConaughey run against the current Gov. Greg Abbott but the campaign is likely to stir up plenty of attention should it come to fruition.
Is Matthew McConaughey running for Texas governor?
The actor has yet to confirm any gubernatorial campaign but did say in March that he was weighing up the possibility of running.
“I’d be a fool not to. And it’s an honorable consideration,” McConaughey said, adding, “I’m ready to step into a leadership position in this next chapter of my life, but I don’t know that that’s in politics.”
In May, the Oscar-winning actor was reportedly making calls to discuss his political venture.
On July 4, McConaughey struck a patriotic tone with an address to the nation for Independence Day but still did not confirm or deny whether or not there was a gubernatorial campaign in his future.
What are Matthew McConaughey’s political views?
McConaughey’s political credentials remain something of a mystery as do some of his stances. But we do have some clues as to what issues he might want to address as Texas governor.
Matthew McConaughey is neither a Democrat nor a Republican.
McConaughey has described himself as “aggressively centric” and has criticized both the left and right for how they approach politics.
"There’s a lot on that illiberal left that absolutely condescend, patronize and are arrogant towards that other 50 percent,” the actor told Russel Brand in December 2020.
He also criticized the right as being “in denial” about President Biden’s win over Donald Trump because of “fake news.”
McConaughey is pro-gun control.
Rather controversially for a Texas native, McConaughey has spoken against what he labeled as an “epidemic” of gun violence.
The actor spoke at a March For Our Lives rally but insisted that he didn’t support a movement to eliminate guns entirely.
“March for Our Lives was for rightful, just, responsible gun ownership — but against assault rifles, against unlimited magazines and for following up on the regulations,” he says.
McConaughey has spoken about police reform.
In a 2020 appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, McConaughey gave a careful response to a question about police reform and defunding the police.
“It’s almost like it should have been renamed because ‘defund’ does not sound anything like there’s been money reallocated to different areas of handling some police exercise,” he said.
He added that the community and police need to communicate their needs better in order to find a compromise.
McConaughey is pro-masks and pro-vaccines.
McConaughey vocalized his support for mask mandates throughout the pandemic and said he was “dumbfounded” by Texas Gov. Abbot’s decision to open up the state back in March.
The actor also interviewed Dr. Anthony Fauci on his Instagram during the pandemic but stressed that the conversation was not politically motivated.
As the vaccine rollout began, McConaughey joined NBC’s “Roll Up Your Sleeves” special to urge fans to get vaccinated.
Though this work is not inherently political, it possibly speaks to some of McConaughey's concerns in his rumored challenge to Gov. Abbot's campaign.
Alice Kelly is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Catch her covering all things social justice, news, and entertainment. Keep up with her Twitter for more.