A new poll finds that 45 percent of respondents would support Hollywood star Matthew McConaughey for governor of Texas, while 33 percent support sitting Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
The Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll reported that the Lincoln Lawyer star leads Abbott 45 percent to 33 percent, with 22 percent choosing someone other than the actor and the governor.
Along party lines, Republicans were less interested in a McConaughey candidacy. The poll found that 56 percent of GOP voters did not want to vote for the actor, while 30 percent favored him. Independents broke for McConaughey 44 percent to Abbott’s 28 percent, and Democrats heavily favored the star 66 percent to Abbott’s 8 percent.
The poll also found that 51 percent of respondents who claimed to be Democrat wanted a more left-wing candidate, while 25 percent wanted a centrist Democrat. As to Republicans, just 20 percent were hoping for a centrist GOP candidate.
The Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll surveyed 1,126 registered voters between April 6th and 13th. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.92%.
While the results may be encouraging for the 51-year-old Oscar-winner, this poll comes before McConaughey has offered any policy ideas for voters to consider, not to mention before he has picked a party to represent.
McConaughey has been hintng at a run for office for nearly a year. And just last month, the Dallas Buyers Club star said that a run for the Executive Mansion is a “true consideration” as the Oscar-winning star hinted to the Crime Stoppers of Houston podcast that he had not shut the door on a run gov.
His public presence also extends far beyond the big screen. The Gentlemen star has engaged in a growing number of high-profile charitable efforts to aid Texans through storms and the coronavirus pandemic. McConaughey recently spearheaded a benefit concert with proceeds to benefit Texans who fell victim to the recent brutal winter storms. He also helped deliver 110,000 masks to rural Texas hospitals back in May of 2020.
McConaughey has made several statements on a range of hot political and pop culture topics.
In October of last year, he slammed leftists as “illiberal” for their cancel culture and also called leftists “arrogant” for “condescending” to conservatives.
McConaughey pushed hard for mask wearing and recently said he was “dumbfounded” by Gov. Abbott’s decision to remove the Lone Star State’s mask mandates.
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