Crypto campaign PAC Fairshake marks first wins in 2026 U.S. congressional primaries
In the opening primaries of the midterm congressional contests, Fairshake is celebrating victories of several pro-crypto candidates backed by the super PAC.
By Jesse Hamilton|Edited by Nikhilesh DeUpdated Mar 4, 2026, 5:20 p.m. Published Mar 4, 2026, 5:03 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- The 2026 congressional elections are underway, with the first primaries held on Tuesday, and the initial results show several wins for pro-crypto candidates backed by the Fairshake PAC.
- One of the super PAC's major efforts, however, was in getting crypto critic Representative Al Green out of office, and that race was close enough to warrant a runoff election. (Though Green trailed on Tuesday.)
The crypto industry's campaign-finance arm, the Fairshake political action committee, is already grinding out wins in the opening primaries of the 2026 U.S. congressional midterms, having supported several lower-profile candidates while also opposing a prominent, longtime congressman in Texas, Al Green.
A former Department of Justice lawyer backed by President Donald Trump, Jessica Steinmann, secured a dominant victory with almost 70% of the vote in the Republican primary for Texas' 8th District, according to state voting results. Among several candidates supported by Fairshake in Tuesday's contests, she was given the most, with more than $750,000 reported in the most recent Federal Election Commission filings.
Her campaign website described her as "a strong supporter of digital assets, blockchain technology, and financial innovation that expands economic freedom," and her primary win in a Republican-leaning district bodes well for a potential general-election victory in November.
"Voters responded to her commitment to strengthening the economy through innovation, and ensuring that emerging technologies, like crypto, create jobs and prosperity in her community," Fairshake said in a statement released after the primaries. With Steinmann and several other winners in these primaries, Fairshake will already count on some likely additions to its pro-crypto allies after the general election.
One of Fairshake's biggest Tuesday tests — its attempt to knock a veteran Texas Democrat, Green, from his seat — appears to be heading toward a runoff. Green has been among the more vocal Capitol Hill opponents of the crypto sector, voting against legislation and earning an "F" grade from advocacy group Stand With Crypto. But after Fairshake opposed Green with $1.5 million in ads, the longtime lawmaker trailed his Democratic opponent, pro-blockchain Christian Menefee, in the newly redrawn congressional district both incumbents were forced to pursue. Since neither candidate took more than half the vote, they head to a later runoff.
Also in Texas, Fairshake backed Republicans Chris Gober in the 10th, a conservative lawyer who founded Lex Politica to focus on political litigation and government investigations, and Trever Nehls in the 22nd, an Army veteran and Trump loyalist who is seeking to replace his identical twin brother in the seat. Gober won with more than 50% of the vote in a crowded field, and Nehls got 76%. Both districts have have been Republican-dominated, giving Fairshake's candidates a good chance to win the general election.
The super PAC had also supported Representative French Hill, the Arkansas Republican who is chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and the political tip of the spear in crypto legislation in the House of Representatives. Hill, supported with more than $400,000 in Fairshake ads, easily won his primary with 77%.
In North Carolina, the PAC backed a freshman incumbent, Republican Representative Tim Moore, who won 83% of the vote. His crypto voting record won him an "A" rating from Stand With Crypto, and Fairshake put more than $80,000 into his race.
The crypto industry's top PAC (and its two PAC affiliates) had $193 million on-hand at the start of the campaign season. Fairshake is by far the sector's dominant conduit for campaign contributions, so large that it's among the biggest PACs in the country, rivaling even the political parties' own campaign arms.
When it weighs into an election, it doesn't do so to influence voters' views on crypto. The ads Fairshake buys — without direct coordination with campaigns — make purely political arguments on behalf of or opposing a candidate, with no mention of digital assets. In the 2024 elections, it supported 53 candidates that are currently serving in Congress.
Read More: Crypto PAC Fairshake seeks to force resistant Texas Democrat Al Green from U.S. House
More For You
Pudgy Penguins: Challenging the Pokemon and Disney Legacy in the Global IP Race
By CoinDesk ResearchFeb 27, 2026
Commissioned byPudgy Penguins
CoinDesk Research looks into how Pudgy Penguins disrupts traditional toys market via a phygital model. With 2M+ units sold, they scale via global partnerships and events.
What to know:
- Disrupting a Stagnant Market: Pudgy Penguins is utilizing a "Negative CAC" model to challenge the traditional $31.7B licensed toy industry by treating physical merchandise as a profitable user acquisition tool rather than just a final product.
More For You
Brian Armstrong met with Trump before the president slammed banks over crypto bill
By Olivier Acuna|Edited by Nikhilesh De29 minutes ago
CoinDesk was able to confirm the meeting between the US president and the Coinbase CEO took place as Politico initially reported.
What to know:
- President Donald Trump met privately with Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong shortly before publicly accusing banks of trying to undermine the pro-crypto GENIUS Act and urging passage of the Clarity Act.
- The meeting, first reported by Politico, came as Trump posted on Truth Social that banks "need to make a good deal with the Crypto Industry" to advance stalled digital asset legislation on Capitol Hill.
- The crypto market structure bill has been held up amid a clash between banks, which warn that interest-bearing stablecoins could erode deposits and lending, and crypto firms, which argue the GENIUS Act safely allows consumers to earn rewards on their stablecoin holdings.
Ethereum Foundation wants the network to be the trust layer for AI
11 minutes ago
CEO of crypto investment firm Keyrock says bitcoin is undervalued, entering ‘transition year’
28 minutes agoBrian Armstrong met with Trump before the president slammed banks over crypto bill
29 minutes ago
Institutional investors may be buying the dip as traders pour $1.7 billion into spot bitcoin ETFs
1 hour ago
Crypto Long & Short: Why bitcoin's quantum fears will pass just like the climate panic
1 hour ago
The Protocol: New Ethereum scaling plans
1 hour agoTop StoriesBitcoin just cleared $73,000, but skeptical traders are already bracing for a 'bull trap'
1 hour ago
Coinbase, Strategy lead crypto stocks higher as bitcoin spikes above $72,000
2 hours ago
Stablecoin giant Tether invests $50 million in sleep technology startup Eight Sleep
4 hours ago
Bitcoin 'air pocket' above $72,000 could mean quick run to $80,000
3 hours agoBillions in crypto are moving in Iran. Analysts can't agree if it's war-time panic or business as usual.
1 hour ago
