Actor Matthew McConaughey said Sunday evening that he has decided not to run for Texas governor after considering the idea for several months.
In a three-minute video posted to his Twitter and Instagram accounts, McConaughey said he was humbled to be regarded as a possible candidate but that it is a path he is “choosing not to take at this moment.”
“As a simple kid born in the little town of Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership,” he said. “It’s a humbling and inspiring path to ponder.”
McConaughey said he would continue to serve in other ways, by supporting “entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations that I believe are leaders.”
His announcement comes almost two weeks after Democrat Beto O’Rourke launched his campaign for governor. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott filed for a third term Tuesday.
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 by nearly 2-to-1, all voters would be more likely to support McConaughey than O’Rourke. Pluralities of Democrats and independents wanted the Oscar-winning movie star to run.
But McConaughey never declared whether he would run as a Republican or a Democrat. By 65% to 11%, Democratic voters who responded to the poll believed O’Rourke offers the best chance for Democrats to break a statewide losing streak that dates to 1998.
In the hypothetical three-way general election contest, Abbott was the choice of 37%, McConaughey 27% and O’Rourke 26%. Ten percent of voters want someone else.
The deadline for filing for the primaries or to declare an independent candidacy declaration is Dec. 13.
The poll, which was conducted Nov. 9-16, surveyed 1,106 adults who are registered voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
A campaign spokesperson for O’Rourke declined to comment.
