Matthew McConaughey Says Texas Needs ‘Aggressively Centric’ Government
Matthew McConaughey Says Texas Needs ‘Aggressively Centric’ Government
(Bloomberg) -- Matthew McConaughey, the actor flirting with a run for Texas governor, said the state and rest of the country need “aggressively centric” governments to overcome partisan divides.
The 52-year-old native Texan, during a prerecorded segment of the virtual New York Times Dealbook conference Tuesday, said he was still thinking about whether to declare his candidacy for governor in next year’s vote. He said he was focused on whether it was the best way for him to make a difference in the world.
McConaughey said last month that he would only seek office if he can make himself “useful” in the role. He has avoided identifying as a Republican or a Democrat -- criticizing extremists in both parties -- and said Tuesday that some of his positions are left-of-center and others are to the right.
“I think our country, state, needs to be aggressively centric now,” he said. “It’s a daring place to go, it’s a radical move right now.”
McConaughey’s comments come a year before an election in which incumbent Governor Greg Abbott is seen as the leading contender once he gets past primary challengers who’ve called him insufficiently conservative. On the Democratic side, Beto O’Rourke has said he’s considering a run but has yet to make an announcement. The 49-year-old former congressman lost to Ted Cruz when running for senate in 2018 and was a candidate for the 2020 presidential election before dropping out in November 2019.
McConaughey, who rose to fame with acting roles in movies including “Dazed and Confused” and “Dallas Buyers Club,” suggested Tuesday that he’s uncomfortable with vaccine mandates and thinks the recently enacted abortion law in Texas is too restrictive.
A poll published Nov. 5 showed McConaughey -- who was born in the town of Uvalde and now lives in Austin -- has limited popularity among Texas voters, with about a third of those surveyed neither having a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the actor. The poll, conducted by the University of Texas and Texas Tribune, signaled that in a hypothetical election against Abbott and O’Rourke, Abbott would come out on top with 46% support.
McConaughey said he was serious about considering a turn to politics, but there was a lot to think about.
“Trust me, I’m spending a good amount of time deliberating and really working my mind, heart and spirit on the questions,” he said.
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