San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is calling out Matthew McConaughey after the Texas-born actor posted a video urging Americans to give independent candidates a louder voice in politics. Jones took to Instagram late Tuesday night to describe the message as a complete waste of time, labeling McConaughey's recommendation that Texans consider voting independent reckless privilege.
According to expressnews.com, Jones took aim at the actor in her Tuesday Instagram post, writing that the start of a video that is a complete waste of time was McConaughey's pitch for independent voting. She argued the suggestion could undermine efforts to unseat Republicans over issues including gun violence, health care, immigration enforcement, reproductive rights and voting access. Jones capped her post with a direct call to action, writing, Vote for every Democrat. Early voting in Texas ends on Oct. 30th, according to the same report.
McConaughey's Six-Minute Pitch for Independents
The dispute traces back to a six-minute Instagram video titled Independent Counts that McConaughey posted on October 18, as reported by mysanantonio.com. In the video, the actor said he was not endorsing a candidate or party, framing his message instead around fairness and reality: I am not here today to endorse a candidate or a party; I am here endorsing two things: Fairness and Reality, he said, per the outlet.
McConaughey, who grew up in Uvalde, expanded on that message in further remarks, telling viewers he wanted them to study their ballots rather than follow his lead. I'm not telling you who to vote for, he said, according to usatoday.com. The expressnews.com report notes that McConaughey argued independent candidates deserve a stronger voice in American politics, a message he shared just as Texas early voting was getting underway.
Jones Lists Her Concerns With Texas Policy
Jones's objection wasn't only about tone. She said the independent-voting recommendation overlooks a set of Texas issues, pointing to the Uvalde massacre, the state's uninsured residents, immigration enforcement, reproductive-health laws and voter-suppression laws as reasons Texans should stick with a straight Democratic approach this cycle. She said Texas has the highest rate of uninsured adults and children in the country, and described the state as ground zero for the nation's most horrendous immigration enforcement actions, while also pointing to anti-reproductive healthcare laws and voter suppression laws in the state.
Notably, Jones invoked Uvalde as McConaughey's own hometown in making her case, a detail meant to sharpen the contrast between his message and the issues she says are on the ballot.
A Record Share of Independent Voters
The clash lands amid a broader shift in how Americans identify politically. A January Gallup report found that a record-high 45% of U.S. adults identified as political independents in 2025, compared with 27% each identifying as Democrats or Republicans, the Express-News report states. Of that independent bloc, 20% leaned Democratic, 15% leaned Republican and 10% did not lean toward either party, per the same account.
Polling from Texas races this cycle suggests independents are breaking heavily toward Democratic candidates. A University of Houston poll released October 18 showed James Talarico leading Ken Paxton 48% to 46% in the U.S. Senate race, with 60% of independents backing Talarico and 32% breaking for Paxton, USA TODAY reports. An October 13 University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll found an even wider gap, with independent voters preferring Talarico over Paxton 69% to 11%. In the governor's race, a University of Houston poll found Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa leading incumbent Greg Abbott among independent voters 55% to 36%.
Early Voting Underway Across Texas
Texas early voting for the November 3 general election runs from Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30, according to kxan.com. More than 19 million Texans are currently registered to vote, and more than 710,000 votes had been cast as of the outlet's tracker, putting statewide turnout at about 3.7%. Dallas County has recorded the most votes so far, with more than 113,000 cast, followed by Harris County with more than 50,000.
As the San Antonio Current first reported, Jones responded to McConaughey's online video with a post on Instagram. McConaughey, an actor who made his film debut in Dazed and Confused in 1993 and later starred in Dallas Buyers Club, has previously said he has considered running for statewide office in Texas, though he has declined to reveal his own party affiliation.
