8 Celebrities Who’ve Teased Running for Office (and 2 Who Did)

Celebrities can build a devoted fan base through their talent and charisma, qualities that are also valuable in the political arena. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that many believe they can parlay their success in film, music, and broadcasting into a career as a governor, senator, or even President of the United States. Here’s a list of 8 celebrities who flirted with public office before backing out, along with 2 who actually went through with their campaigns.

Matthew McConaughey — Governor of Texas

When polls showed McConaughey leading incumbent Greg Abbott in a hypothetical 2022 election matchup, many Democrats were salivating at the prospect of capturing the Texas governorship for the first time since 1994. But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be. In November 2021, Matthew released a video announcing he wasn’t going to run. He cited family obligations as his main reason, stating that a campaign would take too much valuable time away from raising his three young children.