Matthew McConaughey says fatherhood comes before running for public office – for now
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
(CNN) — Matthew McConaughey is an Oscar-winning actor, author, activist and, at one point, potential gubernatorial candidate in the state of Texas – but his most important job is being a dad.
His job as a father is one of his “non-negotiables,” he said on Monday’s episode of the “Smartless” podcast, and he wants to “see that through” before he would reconsider stepping back into the political arena on a state or national level.
“It’s not something I want to revisit now,” the “Dallas Buyers Club” actor said, adding, “I am raising three children right now and it’s a great adventure doing that – I want to see that through. My only thing I never knew I wanted to be was a dad since I was eight years old.”
McConaughey shares three children – Levi, 15, Vida, 13 and Livingston, 10 – with wife Camila Alves, whom he wed in 2012 after six years of dating.
In 2021, McConaughey said that he was considering launching a gubernatorial campaign in his home state of Texas on an episode of the “Set it Straight: Myths and Legends” podcast, but ultimately announced months later that he would not run, instead choosing to focus his efforts in the private sector.
In July of this year, McConaughey and Alves launched the Greenlights Grant Initiative, a program through their Just Keep Livin’ Foundation that helps school districts apply for federal grants to access funding to create safety in schools.
During Monday’s podcast, McConaughey noted that he still finds flaws within the federal government, saying, “As we know, the government needs some help in running their business.” Nonetheless, he said he’s choosing to put his political endeavors on hold – for now.
“Raising my three kids right now is a hard but fair fight. Going into politics right now is a hard and unfair fight,” he said. “Let me go win my priority, non-negotiable fair fights first.”
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