Candidates supported by the cryptocurrency industry’s political action committee network advanced through key party primaries in Michigan and Washington on Tuesday, according to results reported by the Associated Press.
Affiliates of Fairshake provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in independent expenditures to several of the winners, based on data compiled by the political spending tracker Tech Influence Watch.
In Michigan’s 4th Congressional District, Republican incumbent Bill Huizenga won his party’s nomination.
Defend American Jobs, the Republican-aligned Fairshake affiliate, directed nearly $512,000 toward his effort.
Industry participants including Andreessen Horowitz, Winklevoss Capital, and Coinbase also provided backing. Huizenga, a longtime House member and advocate for clearer digital-asset rules, will face Democratic state Sen. Sean McCann in the November general election.
He has previously argued that regulatory clarity for stablecoins is essential to preserving the US dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency.
In Washington state, Democratic incumbents Suzan DelBene, Kim Schrier, and Marilyn Strickland each prevailed in their primaries.
Republican Amanda McKinney also advanced in her district.
Protect Progress, Fairshake’s Democratic-aligned affiliate, spent $113,120 supporting DelBene, $105,040 for Schrier, and $103,020 for Strickland. McKinney received $506,917 from Defend American Jobs.
Combined Fairshake-network support for these five candidates exceeded $1.3 million.
Fairshake, financed primarily by major crypto firms such as Coinbase and a16z, has positioned itself as a significant player in the 2026 midterm cycle.
The group reported raising approximately $193 million by January. It has already recorded multiple primary successes earlier this year, including support for candidates viewed as favorable to blockchain innovation and market-structure legislation.
The bipartisan structure—Defend American Jobs for Republican contests and Protect Progress for Democratic ones—allows the network to target races across the political spectrum while focusing on lawmakers open to industry priorities.
Primary contests often feature lower turnout, making independent advertising particularly influential in determining nominees who then face more predictable general-election dynamics in many districts.
These outcomes add to the industry’s broader effort to shape the next Congress on issues including stablecoin frameworks and digital-asset market structure. Whether the primary advances translate into November victories and subsequent policy influence remains to be seen, but the spending underscores crypto’s continued investment in electoral politics.