Cruz said Thursday he expects McConaughey doesn’t run for governor in their shared home state — but the Republican senator said the Academy Award-winning actor would be a “formidable” candidate.
“He’s a very charming, very affable guy — he’s a movie star,” Cruz told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.
“And a good-looking, charming, affable movie star can be a really formidable candidate on the ballot,” Cruz added.
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“I hope that doesn’t happen, but you know what? He’s going to have to make his own decision whether he’s going to run or not.”
McConaughey has been teasing with making the jump to politics for months, and he has been measuring support among some heavyweight Republican donors, Politico reported last month.
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The Austin resident recently described his philosophy not to use “Band-Aids” to solve problems during an appearance on “The Carlos Watson Show.”
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“I’m interested in building something that can last and I’m measuring what category that is, and I don’t know if that’s politics,” he said.
If he were to run, the 51-year-old “Dallas Buyers Club” star would have to go through GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said he’s going again in 2022. It’s not clear if McConaughey would run as a Republican, Democrat or independent — but the Lone Star State has gone Republican in its choice of governors since the 1990s.
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Cruz had served under Abbott as attorney general when Abbott was Texas’ attorney general from 2003 to 2008. The senator told Hewitt he had met McConaughey individually and liked him — but his loyalty was still with Abbott.
“I hope Matthew decides not to run,” Cruz said.
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“I am a big fan of Greg Abbott, he was my boss for five and a half years, he’s a close friend and mentor.”
In contrast to Ted's comments on McConaughey, a Republican strategist had told Politico that the actor should be taken seriously.
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"Celebrity in this country counts for a lot," he said. "It's not like some C-list actor no one likes. He has an appeal," the Republican strategist was quoted as saying.
Still, McConaughey, who is known for his roles in Dazed and Confused and Dallas Buyers Club, is yet to formally announce his decision.
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He had earlier mentioned the chance as a "true consideration" and said he would give it an "honest consideration", Business Insider reported.
Academy Award winner McConaughey has a high profile in Texas. According to the Forbes report, a poll taken in April by The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas indicated that 45 percent of the respondents in the survey said they would vote for McConaughey if he ran for the post over Abbott.
"Only 33 per cent said they'd support Abbott over the actor. [Of the respondents in that survey, 30 percent were Democrats, 37 per cent, Republicans, and 33 per cent, neither]," the report said.
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