Matthew McConaughey says he’s ‘measuring’ potential political run

“Well, thank you, man. I’m measuring it. Look, it’s going to be in some capacity… I just – I’m more of a folksy and philosopher-poet statesman than I am a, per see, a definitive politician,” McConaughey told the hosts in an episode released on Wednesday, September 22. “So I go, well, that’s a reason not to, but then I go, no, that’s exactly why you should, because politics needs redefinition, but I’m measuring, you know, what is my category? What’s my embassy?”

Earlier this year in May, Politico’s Meredith McGraw reported McConaughey was weighing a gubernatorial run and was “quietly making calls to influential people in Texas political circles.” 

In a recent poll from the Dallas Morning News, McConaughey from being behind Abbott to moving nine percentage points ahead of the Texas governor in the hypothetical match-up. 

Also in the poll is former Texas representative Beto O’Rourke, who is expected to announce a run for governor of Texas in 2022, according to multiple news outlets. He inched closer to surpassing the governor’s lead over him, cutting from 12 to five points in the Dallas Morning News poll.

While he’s “measuring” his run, McConaughey noted on the podcast he wanted to remain a storyteller and an artist even if he were to run for a political office. 

“I have to remain an artist. I’ve earned my right to enjoy that Saturday night part of life, that music part of life. It has to have music to it. You know what I mean. I’m very good at being diligent, Monday morning, practical, structure, I’m all of that. But I gotta continue to be an artist in what I do,” McConaughey said. “Now if that’s the category to be able to do that in, which would be different than, I think, some people have done it up to now, maybe it’s for me. But maybe it’s also in a whole new category that I just create, and we’ll see.”