According to a survey released by the University of Texas and the Dallas Morning News, the actor — in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup — tops current Gov. Greg Abbott (R) by 8 points. In all, 43 percent of respondents say they would back McConaughey, 35 percent would support Abbott, and 22 percent would pick someone else.

McConaughey fared even better against another prominent candidate in the 2022 race. According to the poll, the actor would trounce Democrat Beto O’Rourke in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup by a 49-27 margin. O’Rourke, who lost a Senate bid to Ted Cruz in 2018, then flopped as a presidential candidate in 2020, officially threw his hat in the ring earlier this week.