Actor Matthew McConaughey said Sunday night that he decided not to run for governor of Texas after considering the idea for several months.
In a three-minute video posted on his Twitter and Instagram accounts, the Oscar winner said he was humble to be seen as a possible candidate, but that it was a path he “is not going at this moment would like to”.
“As a simple kid born in the small town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that one day I would be considered for political leadership,” he said. “It’s a humbling and inspiring way to think.”
McConaughey, 52, said that while considering running for governor, he learned about Texas and American politics, and realized that “we have some problems that we need to solve”.
“We need to start shedding light on our shared values - those who cross party lines, who build bridges instead of burning them,” he said. “I’ve learned that freedom comes with responsibility and that great leaders serve.”
McConaughey said he will continue to be of service in other ways, by “supporting entrepreneurs, companies and foundations that I believe lead the way”.
In the video he said goodbye with “see you next time, just keep living”.
McConaughey, best known for his role in Dazed and Confused in 1993, won an Oscar for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, a 2013 film about the early days of the AIDS epidemic. In 2005 he was named “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine.
His announcement came almost two weeks after Democrat Beto O’Rourke launched his campaign for governorship. Republican Governor Greg Abbott ran for a third term on Tuesday.
An O’Rourke campaign representative declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Abbott’s campaign.
Alice Stewart, former communications director for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, said on CNN Sunday night that the actor had raised some key issues in his announcement.
“He spoke about the political discourse in this country and about lowering the temperature and the need to make sure we have officials elected for the right reasons to serve the people,” she said.
Democratic analyst Paul Begala spoke about McConaughey’s decision after he was asked on CNN whether the GOP leaders of the US House of Representatives had failed to convict Colorado MP Lauren Boebert for implying that Democratic MP Ilhan Omar was dating Minnesota had been mistaken for a terrorist in an elevator on Capitol Hill.
“Maybe that’s why Matthew doesn’t want to get into politics,” said Begala. “And in that sense I can’t blame him. He’s a creative genius and a great guy and Brother Longhorn. And I love the guy. But that’s a good example of how broken politics is. “
Polls showed McConaughey could have been a significant force in the governor’s race. A Dallas Morning News / UT-Tyler poll released earlier this month found that all voters were almost 2 to 1 more likely to support McConaughey than O’Rourke. A host of Democrats and Independents wanted the movie star to run. The poll also showed he led Abbott by eight points in a head-to-head match.
Pollster Mark Owens, a political scientist with UT-Tyler, said most of McConaughey’s possible candidacies were based on his name recognition and how well he would resonate with independent voters. Without him in the race, Abbott has a clearer shot in the primary, Owens said.
“Matthew McConaughey would have been better known with voters across the state than the candidates who previously announced they would run in the Republican primary,” he said. “And this continues to keep Governor Abbott in a very good position to reclaim this nomination.”
McConaughey never stated whether he would run for Republican or Democrat. At 65 to 11 percent, Democratic voters who responded to the poll believed O’Rourke offered the Democrats the best chance of breaking a 1998 national streak of bad luck.
In the hypothetical three-way election campaign, Abbott was 37% chosen; McConaughey 27%; and O’Rourke 26%. Ten percent of voters want someone else.
The deadline for submitting the primaries or declaring an independent candidacy is December 13th.
The poll, conducted November 9-16, polled 1,106 adults who are registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
The chief of the Austin Bureau, Robert T. Garrett, contributed to this report.
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