A new poll suggests that actor Matthew McConaughey could defeat either incumbent Republican Greg Abbott or Democrat hopeful Beto O'Rourke in a race for the Texas governor's office.
The poll from the University of Texas and Dallas Morning News found that McConaughey is preferred in both one-on-one matchups, but that Abbott would win in a three-way race.
McConaughey, who lives in Austin, has teased a run for governor for months but has not said whether he would make one as a Republican or a Democrat.
The 52-year-old Oscar-winning actor keeps his political views close to the vest, but his prior remarks suggest that he is moderate to conservative-leaning.
A new poll suggests that actor Matthew McConaughey could defeat either incumbent Republican Greg Abbott or Democrat hopeful Beto O'Rourke for Texas governor
In the new poll, respondents asked about a hypothetical matchup between Abbott and McConaughey preferred the actor, 43 percent to 35 percent, with the rest saying they were unsure.
Asked about a race between McConaughey and O'Rourke, who recently announced his intention to run next year, McConaughey prevailed 49 percent to 27 percent.
However, in a three-way race with all of the candidates running, the plurality preferred Abbott, who garnered 37 percent support to McConaughey's 27 percent and O'Rourke's 27 percent.
Only 40 percent said they wanted McConaughey to run for governor, with 33 percent voicing opposition and the remainder saying it didn't matter to them.
McConaughey, hailing from a small town in deep Texas and raised in a religious family, has hinted at a possible third-party run, saying he has problems with both parties.
'Each party is claiming to be democracy itself, and in doing so can't much tell you what they're
