McConaughey has been flirting with the idea of a gubernatorial run for months but hasn’t committed either way yet. A new poll from the Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler shows a double-digit advantage over Gov. Greg Abbott in a hypothetical match-up between the actor and the incumbent Republican governor. The poll found 45% of voters would vote for McConaughey over 33% who would vote for Abbott, the Dallas Morning News’ Robert T. Garrett and Gromer Jeffers Jr. report. Neither Johnson nor McConaughey have been explicit regarding their personal party affiliations, but a closer look at the results for the latter clearly indicates which side of the political spectrum might help him take office should he choose to run one day. No matter how he votes when he steps in the booth, it’s clear that people who lean left would be open to a Governor McConaughey.
The poll determined that 56% of Republican voters would still back the state’s current governor. Only 30% would support McConaughey. At least 66% of Democrat-voting respondents would vote McConaughey — and 44% of Independents would support the actor’s gubernatorial ambitions. Ultimately actors like Matthew McConaughey face a choice between maintaining a fairly broad base of fans with all manner of political affiliations and essentially choosing sides. For famous people pulling in a ton of money, possibly alienating a huge chunk of fandom is not an easy choice to make.
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