DALLAS, Texas — A statewide poll shows actor Matthew McConaughey is running ahead of incumbent Greg Abbott in a potential race for the Texas governor's office in 2022.
According to a poll released Sunday by the Dallas Morning News and University of Texas at Tyler, 45% of Texas registered voters would vote for McConaughey, 33% would vote for Abbott and 22% for somebody else.
McConaughey’s double-digit lead over the two-term Republican incumbent is considered to be significant, the newspaper said. The poll, conducted April 6-13, surveyed 1,126 registered voters and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.92 percentage points.
Among Republican voters, 56% said they would vote for Abbott, compared to 30% for McConaughey.
Democrats polled went for McConaughey by a 66-8% margin.
Some of the Trump supporters warm to celebrities, and that sentiment, along with the wishes of one-fifth of the primary electorate for a more moderate nominee, might open a lane in the GOP primary for McConaughey, UT-Tyler political scientist Mark Owens, who directed the poll, told the Morning News.
“Matthew McConaughey gets a huge boost from tremendous name recognition and recognition for what he does to help Texans and add to the celebration of the state’s successes,” Owens said. “Most of our survey respondents know his story, but many are waiting to see how he opens his next chapter.”
This story was originally published by Tim Griffin at KRIS.
