Matthew McConaughey won’t run for Texas governor in 2022
FILE - Matthew McConaughey speaks at a ceremony honoring Guy Fieri with a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, in Los Angeles. In a video posted Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, McConaughey said he isn't running for Texas governor after months of publicly flirting with the idea of becoming the latest celebrity candidate. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Actor Matthew McConaughey isn’t running for Texas governor after months of publicly flirting with the idea of becoming the latest celebrity candidate.
The Academy Award winner said in a video posted Sunday night that political leadership was not a route he was choosing to take “at this moment.” McConaughey, 52, said he would instead focus on supporting businesses and foundations that create pathways for others to succeed.
The Texas governor’s race is already shaping up to be one of the nation’s highest-profile contests in 2022. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is seeking a third term and Democrat Beto O’Rourke, coming off failed bids for the U.S. Senate and president, announced month that he was getting in the race.
The “Dazed and Confused” and “Dallas Buyers Club” star had never said what party — if any — he would run under while acknowledging that he was mulling a run for governor in his home state. McConaughey had also shied away from going into policy specifics and positions on contentious issues in Texas.