Crypto PAC Fairshake scores primary wins in Michigan and Washington

Several pro-crypto U.S. representatives won their party primaries in Michigan and Washington on Tuesday after receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funding from the crypto industry.

In Michigan, Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga secured his party's nomination, according to the AP elections portal. Huizenga received nearly $512,000 from Defend American Jobs, Fairshake's Republican-facing PAC, according to political funding tracker Tech Influence Watch. A16z, Winklevoss Capital and Coinbase also backed his campaign.

Huizenga, who is seeking another term, will face off against Democratic Sen. Sean McCann in November. Huizenga has been a strong crypto supporter, and said in March 2025 that it is essential to provide regulatory clarity for crypto assets.

"As legislators, it's ultimately up to us to provide the regulatory clarity needed to ensure that the U.S. dollar remains the dominant reserve currency, and I believe stablecoins can do that," Huizenga previously said at a House hearing on stablecoins in March 2025.

Meanwhile in Washington, incumbent Democratic Reps. Suzan DelBene, Kim Schrier and Marilyn Strickland all won their party primaries, while Republican Amanda McKinney also advanced in her district, according to the AP.

All four candidates received backing from Fairshake affiliates, according to Tech Influence Watch data. Protect Progress, Fairshake's Democratic-aligned affiliate, spent $113,120 supporting DelBene, $105,040 supporting Schrier, and $103,020 supporting Strickland. McKinney received $506,917 from Defend American Jobs.

PAC influence

Fairshake, the crypto-focused political action committee supported by firms including Coinbase and a16z, has remained a major force in the 2026 election cycle after emerging as a large political spender in 2024. In January, the PAC said it had amassed $193 million ahead of the November midterms.

The PAC has already claimed several victories this cycle, including backing pro-crypto Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee, who unseated longstanding Rep. Al Green in the Democratic primary runoff in Texas in May.