New Poll Shows McConaughey in Lead for Texas Governor

Could the guy who played Wooderson in Dazed & Confused be the next governor of Texas? It’s looking like a real possibility if he’s serious about running.

A poll released by the Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas-Tyler has Matthew McConaughey with a 12-point lead over incumbent Governor Greg Abbott.

The actor is particularly popular among Democrats, with 66% of those polled saying they would vote for him. 44% of independents said they would vote for McConaughey, while 30% of Republicans said they would cast their vote for him. Not surprisingly, the majority of Republicans support Governor Abbott.

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UT-Tyler political scientist and poll director Mark Owens told the Dallas Morning News it’s all a matter of name recognition:

Matthew McConaughey gets a huge boost from tremendous name recognition and recognition for what he does to help Texans and add to the celebration of the state’s successes. Most of our survey respondents know his story, but many are waiting to see how he opens his next chapter.

While it’s not clear whether or not McConaughey is a Democrat or Republican, he has been critical of both parties over the years. However, according to KHOU, in his memoir Greenlights, which was published in October, he said he comes “from a long line of rule breakers.” He describes his ancestors as “outlaw libertarians who vote red down the line because they believe it’ll keep fewer outlaws from trespassin on their territory.”

It’ll be interesting to see if he decides to go ahead and make a run for governor. This poll should help in his decision.