Are Celebrity Governors Really Going To Be A Thing Again?

dazed and confused matthew mcconaughey and caitlyn jenner
  • Vegas election betting sites have governor odds posted for both Matthew McConaughey and Caitlyn Jenner
  • After the 2016 Trump win, celebrities have more political clout than ever before
  • US voters are historically willing to elect celebrities to high-profile political offices

Ronald Reagan, Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Or, if you like, the Gipper, the Body, and the Oak.

These are the most famous celebrities to ever be elected to a state governorship.

And given the timelines of their terms, the trend – minor though it is – is nothing new. But it also seems to have waned in recent years.

Well, that could all be changing.   

With identity politics now the norm, it only makes sense that Hollywood celebrities are once again warming up to the idea of running for various offices.

Of course, given the nature of the celebrity ego, minor posts are a nonstarter. With these people, federal congressional elections are the absolute basement, and most prefer to jump straight into the gubernatorial fray.

Sometimes, they even go right for the White House.

Such was the case in 2016 with Donald Trump, and Kanye West followed suit – albeit much less successfully – in 2020.  

Trump, previously known mostly as a B-list actor and host of The Apprentice, proved that the lines between celebrities and politicians are more blurred than ever.

Thus, it’s no surprise that celebrity political futures could be in the cards.

For bettors, of course, that means political futures are definitely in the cards, as the best Vegas election betting sites have recently posted a pair of compelling governor odds featuring notable names from TV and film.

2022 Texas Governor Odds

Via Bovada Sportsbook

Will Matthew McConaughey win the 2022 Texas gubernatorial election?

  • No -550
  • Yes +350

Apparently, Matthew McConaughey has announced his interest in running for governor of his native Texas, presumably as an anti-gun rank-and-file Democrat extremist.

In a recent straw poll, voters in the Lone Star State favored McConaughey over current two-term incumbent Greg Abbott, 45% to 33%.

Of course, such polls are notoriously unreliable and utilize broken methodologies. The science hasn’t grown up. We get older, and they stay the same age.

So take all this with a grain of salt, and then take the “No” at -550.  

2021 California Governor Odds – Gavin Newsom Recall Election

Via BetOnline Sportsbook

Will Caitlyn Jenner be elected as the next governor of California?

  • No -2500
  • Yes +800

Not a chance.

As Bruce, Caitlyn was an Olympic hero, and then he became a she on reality TV before espousing the weirdest set of Republican values this side of the chromosomal divide.

While Jenner running as a GOP candidate against recalled CA governor Gavin Newsom (D) would provide endless fodder for dissecting leftist hypocrisy in action, it’s just not happening. He can’t win.

In fact, Newsom won’t even lose his recall election to begin with, because California is…California.  

We have no doubt Jenner would run for the post if given the chance, but even then, he’s not as fast as he used to be, and the GOP probably doesn’t want him to be the fa(r)ce of the party in CA.

Still, you can’t win if you don’t try, and it’d be amusing to watch. Just be sure to put your cash on “No” at -2500.

The payout might be a pittance, but unlike the rest of this nonsense, at least it won’t be a pity.