Alright, Alright, Alright: Poll Shows Matthew McConaughey In Striking Distance Of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Matthew McConaughey has been publicly suggesting he may run for governor of Texas in 2022. While it’s unclear which party’s ticket he’d run on, it is clear he has a comparable favorability rating to incumbent two-term Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican. Texas does not have gubernatorial term limits, and Abbott said he will run for reelection. The governor already has one Republican primary challenger.

In a way-too-early Quinnipiac poll, Austin resident McConaughey notched a 42% approval rating as a candidate, despite the fact that he has yet to declare his candidacy or even articulate much in the way of concrete political positions for that matter. The poll shows Abbott’s approval rating at 49%, but his 43% unfavorable rating is markedly higher than McConaughey’s (20%). Forty-one percent of voters said they want the actor to run for governor, including 47 percent of independents and 44 percent of Democrats.

Republicans overwhelmingly say Abbott should be reelected, by an 88% to 13% spread.

McConaughey hasn’t just publicly flirted with a run. According to Politico, he’s made calls to wealthy and influential Texans to gauge interest.

“A Trump favorite in a state that is turning less red in recent election cycles,” said Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy. “Abbott has a decent but in no way overwhelming grasp on reelection.”

The evolving demographics of Texas voters have made the state more competitive in recent years. Though Republicans have controlled the state legislature and the governorship since 2003, statewide elections have become tighter for the most part.

The poll shows former Rep. Beto O’Rourke polling well among Democrats. O’Rourke narrowly lost his Senate challenge to Ted Cruz in 2018. Among Democrats, 77% say they want O’Rourke to run for governor next year.

“I’m a little more surprised that people aren’t taking him more seriously, honestly,” a Texas Republican strategist told Politico. “Celebrity in this country counts for a lot [and] it’s not like some C-list actor no one likes. He has an appeal.”

With the filing deadline for candidates less than six months away, time is becoming a factor – in addition to being a flat circle.

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