Fairshake PAC and its affiliated super PACs poured $7.2 million into media buys this week across Georgia, Alabama, Nebraska, Kentucky, and Texas, marking one of the crypto industry's biggest single-week spending blitzes of the 2026 cycle. The money flowed through two arms – Protect Progress, which backs Democrats, and Defend American Jobs, which supports Republicans – with the shared goal of electing candidates friendly to digital asset legislation.
Where the $7.2 million landed
Defend American Jobs directed more than $3.5 million in media support for Kentucky Republican Andy Barr's US Senate campaign. Barr has backed the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act, two pieces of crypto-focused legislation. On the Democratic side, Protect Progress pledged $1.5 million to block Representative Al Green (D-TX) from returning to Congress, calling him hostile to the crypto community. Green faces a May 26 runoff against Christian Menefee, who received about $1.6 million in combined PAC support alongside Georgia Democrat Jasmine Clark. Clark faces her primary on May 19 in Georgia's 13th Congressional district. Defend American Jobs also spent roughly $514,000 earlier this cycle supporting Republican James Baird's reelection in Indiana, a race Baird won.
The crypto policy stakes
The CLARITY Act, a digital asset market structure bill, recently cleared a Senate hurdle after a compromise on stablecoin yield rules. But as of Thursday, the Senate Banking Committee hadn't scheduled a markup vote, leaving the bill in limbo. Cody Carbone, CEO of The Digital Chamber, said it's “critically important for every member of Congress to have a position on crypto as part of their election campaign and platform.” That message appears to be driving the spending. Fairshake held more than $190 million as of early 2024 and spent over $130 million on political ads in the 2024 cycle – but this week's outlay shows the group is still willing to deploy serious cash to influence primary outcomes.
Upcoming primaries and legislative limbo
Jasmine Clark's primary on May 19 will be the first test of Protect Progress's strategy in Georgia's 13th District. Then comes Al Green's runoff on May 26. Both races are early indicators of whether crypto money can sway voters – or whether opposition to the industry is a winning stance. Meanwhile, the CLARITY Act's next move is unclear. Without a scheduled markup, the bill's path through the Senate Banking Committee remains stalled, giving Fairshake and its allies reason to keep the pressure on candidates.
