New poll gives Matthew McConaughey the green light to challenge Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

Austin, Texas – Alright, alright, alright! New poll data shows Matthew McConaughey might have pretty good chances in a possible 2022 gubernatorial bid against incumbent Greg Abbott.

38% of voters polled in a recent survey said they would vote for Matthew McConaughey over incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott (collage).
38% of voters polled in a recent survey said they would vote for Matthew McConaughey over incumbent Texas Governor Greg Abbott (collage).  © Screenshots/Instagram/officiallymcconaughey

It has long been rumored that Matthew McConaughey may be mulling a run to be the next Texas governor. A new poll, recently released by Dallas Morning News and University of Texas at Tyler, surveyed 1,090 voters and found that 38% of them would vote for McConaughey over Abbott, who will be running for his third term in 2022.

Of McConaughey's reported supporters, 56% identified as Democratic, 39% as Independent, and 22% as Republican.

Of respondents in favor of the Greenlights author, 28% said they liked him because of "shared values," while 13% said they approved of him because they saw him as "an outsider."

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By far the greatest reason for supporting the Texan actor was "his honesty, to tell it like it is," with 48% of respondents selecting that option.

Another potential challenger, Democrat Beto O'Rourke, had the support of 33% of voters polled in the survey. Those numbers give him a fighting chance against Abbott, but still place him behind McConaughey, at least for the time being.

Based on the survey results, it seems many Texans consider McConaughey a strong candidate, even though the True Detective star hasn't actually said he is running. If he did announce a bid, it's unclear whether he would run as a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent.

With those parameters set, it's possible the poll numbers could change too.

In the meantime, maybe the favorable survey results will finally give McConaughey the push he needs to officially announce his candidacy.

Governor Abbott will also be challenged from the right in next year's election by former state Senator Don Huffines and the Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West, who on Sunday announced his plans to campaign.

Cover photo: Screenshots/Instagram/officiallymcconaughey

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