The owner of the Houston Texans football franchise is spending $500,000 on the U.S. Senate race in Alaska, in support of the Republican challenger to incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Begich.
The franchise owner, Bob McNair, made the donation this month to a super PAC that supports Dan Sullivan, said Art Hackney, the Anchorage-based political consultant who runs the group.
McNair, who made his fortune in the energy industry, donates heavily to Republican causes. Kevin Cooper, the Texans' senior director of communications, said McNair believes strongly in "free enterprise" but does not comment on his political contributions.
Hackney said McNair is a big supporter of South Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, and added that Graham "is very fond of Dan."
"I don't know how it transpired -- I just got a call," said Hackney, whose super PAC is called Alaska's Energy, America's Values.
The group last week disclosed $280,000 in spending on bus signs and radio ads -- a significant sum in the context of the Senate race, which has attracted at least $16 million in spending by outside groups that operate independently of the campaigns. The radio ads attack Sullivan's opponent, incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Begich.
Alaska's Energy, America's Values had previously raised $375,000 from members of Sullivan's family. Hackney said the group would be active through Election Day, Nov. 4, including a limited statewide TV advertising campaign.
He added that the super PAC will focus some of its efforts in Southeast Alaska, an area that leans Democratic, because "we don't see a lot of activity down there."
"It's kind of a little mission to try and turn out as many people for Sullivan down there as possible, through our efforts," Hackney said.
A spokesman for Sullivan declined to comment.