Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker announced in an Instagram post on Sunday that he has formed a political action committee to boost Christian voter turnout.
Butker said his UPRIGHT PAC will “promote and encourage Christian voters to vote.” He also endorsed the re-election bid of Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican populist who, like Butker, is a traditionalist Catholic.
Traditionalist Catholicism rejects the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, instead upholding beliefs and practicing rites from the pre-1960s Church, including the Latin Mass.
Prominent traditionalist Catholics have included actor Mel Gibson, far-right commentator Rod Dreher, pundit Candace Owens, and the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Vice presidential candidate JD Vance, a Catholic convert, is adjacent to traditionalists, though it’s unclear whether he identifies as one.
Butker is no stranger to politics. He’s outspoken in his opposition to abortion and support for traditional values, including the belief that the primary role of women is as homemakers, a view he has expressed in numerous speeches.
The Chiefs kicker has supported anti-abortion laws, including the 2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment. He wore an anti-abortion tie while meeting President Joe Biden in the White House after the Chiefs’ 2022 Super Bowl win.
Butker, who has come under fire in the past for comments on Jews, women, and the role of religion in public life, is not the first NFL player to court controversy due to his political beliefs.
In 2016, Colin Kaepernick, then a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers, kneeled during the performance of the national anthem to protest police brutality against black Americans. Kaepernick’s act of taking a knee set the league on fire, sparking debates about race and patriotism. Ultimately, Kaepernick was pushed out of the league, despite his relative success on the field.
By contrast, Butker remains an active player on an NFL roster. He announced his PAC a day after the 5-1 Chiefs’ victory over the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium, showing that, for now, he can mix sports and politics without jeopardizing his NFL career.
The 29-year-old ranks as one of the league’s top kickers. But will he hang up his cleats and go all-in on politics one day? An opportunity could arise just over the border in Kansas, where the governor’s spot is up for grabs in 2026.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, won by a narrow margin in 2022 and is term-limited from a third run. However, it’s unclear whether Butker could outperform other potential candidates like former Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
While Kansas is a red state, it has also elected Democrats like Kelly as governor. In 2022, Kansas voters rejected a referendum that would have removed constitutional protections for abortion rights. So while Butker may have name recognition, his views may lean too far to the right for state-wide office.
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