Matthew McConaughey isn’t running for Texas governor:

Despite strong poll numbers suggesting he’d be the leader in a race for Texas governor, actor Matthew McConaughey said in a video posted to his social media pages on Sunday evening that public office is “a path I’m choosing not to take at this moment.”

“I’m going to continue to work and invest the bounty I have in supporting entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations that I believe are leaders,” the Oscar-winning actor said in the three-minute video.

…

McConaughey said in the video that he “never imagined” he would be in a position where people would seriously consider electing him to public office, and said that he explored the possibility of entering the political sphere. But he will instead continue his work through his nonprofit org Just Keep Livin’, which provides fitness and support programs for teens in inner-city high schools.

McConaughey’s departure clears the way for a 2022 showdown between Abbott and O’Rourke, with the former seeking a third term as governor. Abbott has polarized Texans with his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and refusal to enforce social distancing and vaccination requirements at businesses. Even among some Republicans that support such policies, he has been criticized for the decline of Texas’ utility infrastructure. Since the start of the pandemic, Abbott’s approval rating has fallen from around 55% in April to 43% now, according to FiveThirtyEight.

dailykos.com