Actor Matthew McConaughey announced on Sunday that he will not run to be the next governor of Texas, a decision that came despite a push from left-wing media for the actor to challenge Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
McConaughey, 52, had previously called for law-abiding citizens to “take one for the team” and give up some of their Second Amendment rights, and he had praised far-left Democrat Beto O’Rourke, calling him a “good man.” McConaughey also said that he had a problem with a recent Texas law that protects unborn babies.
“Listen, over the past two years, I’ve been working on the answer to the question of how I can be most useful in this life going forward — useful to myself, useful to my family, and to the most amount of people,” he said in a video posted to his Instagram account. “One category of service I’ve been exploring is politics. I’ve been considering a run for the governor of Texas.”
McConaughey said that he learned the following while exploring a potential run for governor:
- “Our politics needs new purpose.”
- “We have divides that need healing.”
- “We need more trust in our lives.”
- “We got to start shining a light on our shared values, the ones that cross party lines, the ones that build bridges instead of burn them.”
- “Our children are our greatest asset, so, hey, let’s be as good of parents as we can be.”
- “That freedom comes with responsibility, and that great leaders serve.”
“As a simple kid born in the little town, Uvalde, Texas, it never occurred to me that I would one day be considered for political leadership. It’s a humbling and inspiring path to ponder,” he added. “It is also a path that I’m choosing not to take at this moment.”
“What am I going to do? I’m going to continue to work and invest the bounty I have by supporting entrepreneurs, businesses, and foundations that I believe are leaders, establishments that I believe are creating pathways for people to succeed in life, organizations that have a mission to serve and build trust, while also generating prosperity,” he concluded. “That’s the American dream. And politicians, the good ones can help us get to where we need to go, yeah. But let’s be clear, they can’t do anything for us unless we choose to do for ourselves.”
This article has been expanded after publication to include additional information.