Andrew Yang, the entrepreneur and co-founder of the Forward Party who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, said Tuesday that actor Matthew McConaughey's recent push for independent candidates has made a potential 2028 bid seem increasingly plausible.
Asked whether he would welcome McConaughey entering the race, Yang told NewsNation's Blake Burman, "Well, I wouldn't be alone. I'll tell you that. I mean, the speculation has officially been stoked." He added, "You don't put out that kind of video if you're not thinking about it."
McConaughey, best known for films like "Interstellar," posted a video earlier this month urging voters to consider independent candidates, arguing that doing so could pull lawmakers "back to the middle, where most American values live." In the clip, he declared, "The No. 1 political identity in America today is not Republican. It is not Democrat. It is independent." He framed independents as "a real and potential winner, on the ballot and considered seriously by us," rather than as a protest or spoiler.
The actor's comments come amid polling that shows a growing share of Americans rejecting major-party labels. A 2025 Gallup survey found that 45 percent of U.S. adults identify as independents, compared with 27 percent each for Democrats and Republicans. The same poll indicated that younger generations—Gen Z and millennials—are even more likely to call themselves independents.
McConaughey has long flirted with political involvement. He previously mulled a run for Texas governor in 2022 but ultimately decided against it. His latest video has drawn support from across the political spectrum, including from figures like former Senator Joe Manchin, who endorsed his call for centrist independents. Manchin, a Democrat-turned-independent, has been a vocal advocate for reforming the two-party system.
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico also welcomed McConaughey's potential entry. "I think he'd be a great candidate," Talarico told TMZ DC. He added that he is running for Congress "because of this two-party system, it's near impossible to be able to get elected as an independent candidate." Talarico's comments highlight the structural barriers third-party and independent candidates face, even as voter appetite for alternatives grows.
Yang, who has become a prominent voice for electoral reform, has repeatedly argued that the current system fails to represent the majority of Americans. His Forward Party aims to promote ranked-choice voting and open primaries, measures that could make independent bids more viable. He has also praised Manchin's endorsement of McConaughey's independent push, seeing it as part of a broader movement.
Whether McConaughey will actually jump into the 2028 race remains uncertain. But his recent rhetoric, combined with Yang's comments and the polling data, suggests that independent politics are no longer a fringe proposition. As Yang put it, the speculation has officially been stoked—and the political world is watching closely.
