HOUSTON — Matthew McConaughey announced Sunday that he will not be running for Texas governor in 2022.
It had been rumored for a while that he was going to throw his name in the ring with Gov. Greg Abbott, who has held the position since 2014, Allen West and Beto O'Rourke.
The Texas gubernatorial election will be held on Nov. 8, 2022.
On Tuesday, Abbott and West announced they had filled out the paperwork for the election. O'Rourke has plans to visit every county in Texas ahead of the election.
In his announcement, McConaughey said he had been considering running for Texas governor in an effort to answer the question: "How can I be most useful in this life going forward?"
He said politics is a category of service he has explored. He said he has studied Texas and American politics and has learned a lot.
"We have some problems we need to fix," he said in the video. "Our politics needs new purpose. That we have divides that need healing. That we need more trust in our lives. We gotta start shining a light on our shared values. The ones that cross party lines. The ones that build bridges instead of burn them."
McConaughey said Texas politics is a path he's choosing not to take at this time. He said he's going to continue to support entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations that he believes are "leaders."