The crypto industry’s campaign finance arm, Fairshake, has begun rolling out its campaign strategies in its well-funded effort to pack Congress with lawmakers ready to pass digital asset-friendly policies, with Democratic Rep. Al Green the first lawmaker on its hit list.
An affiliate of the Fairshake Political Action Committee, which has begun using its $193 million war chest for this year’s congressional elections, said it will spend $1.5 million on ads opposing Green’s primary campaign.
The critical Texas lawmaker has often noted the potential dangers cryptocurrencies pose to the U.S. financial system and to investors, co-sponsored a bill seeking to ban President Donald Trump from his personal crypto business interests, and has voted against crypto policy legislation. That opposition earned him an “F” grade from Stand With Crypto, a group that rates crypto support by politicians.
Green, who is among the most senior Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee, who has a direct hand in crypto legislation, faces rivals in the Democratic primary for the recently redrawn Texas district he represents. Texas’ primary is coming up quickly next month, and longtime Congressman Green would have to beat a younger Democrat, Christian Menefee, who just won a special election and took the redrawn district’s seat days ago.
“Texas voters can no longer sit and have representation in Congress that is actively hostile to a growing Texas crypto community,” Fairshake’s super PAC affiliate, Protect Progress, said in a statement. “We are committed to electing new members who embrace innovation, growth and wealth creation for all Americans.”
Menefee supports blockchain technology, according to his campaign stand, and Stand With Crypto gives him an “A” grade.
In Green’s last election in 2024, his campaign spent less than $450,000 to keep his seat, which remained uncontested in the primary, and he needed even less in 2022. But he has brought in more than $700,000 so far in this tougher contest. Still, that’s less than half of Fairshake’s spending against him.
Fairshake also announced this week that it will spend $5 million to boost a pro-crypto Alabama Republican, U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, in that state’s Senate primary. And the group also backs House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, according to a spokesman. Super PACs generally spend money on ads that are general political messages unrelated to crypto issues, and because they are “independent expenditures” under election law, Fairshake is not allowed to coordinate with campaigns.
