Will It Be McConaughey for Governor in Texas?
Easily the most-discussed topic among Texas Democrats for the past week is whether or not actor Matthew McConaughey will seek their nomination for governor in 2022. Much of this talk was sparked by a recent University of Texas polls showing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott barely eking out a lead of 39 to 38 percent over Oscar winner McConaughey (who was born and raised in Uvalde but now lives in Austin). The poll notwithstanding, what makes the McConaughey for Governor talk intriguing is that, while the actor has been saying for months he is considering the race, he has yet to say whether he would run as a Democrat or Independent. Most observers believe McConaughey, who will be 52 next year3 years younger than Ronald Reagan when the former actor and future president was elected governor of California in 1966will make a race as a Democrat if he chooses to run. A self-described raging centrist, McConaughey has faulted the two major parties for moving so far to the right or the left there arent even tires on the pavement.  He has also yet to spell out any specific positions on issues, ranging from immigration to taxes to gun control or abortion. There are some skeptics about a McConaughey candidacy actually happening. I will be surprised if McConaghey actually files and becomes a candidate, Wayne Thorburn, former executive director of the Texas GOP and author of several acclaimed books on Texas politics, told Newsmax,  However, the Democrats do not have a field team, so there is no apparent candidate for governor.  Thorburn added that the lack of any viable Democratic candidate may encourage Democratic party leaders to push McConaughey into the race but the more likely outcome is that [former Rep. and 2018 Senate nominee Beto] O'Rourke will be convinced to run. That would keep O'Rourke politically alive.  The same UT poll that showed McConaughey and Abbott in a near tie showed the Republican governor clobbering ORourke by 45 to 33 percent.