Crypto PAC-backed candidates win U.S. primaries in $3.5M ad blitz

• Nearly a dozen candidates in California, New Jersey, and South Dakota won or advanced after $3.5 million in crypto PAC-funded advertising
• PACs allied with Coinbase and Ripple Labs ramp up election spending, with new developer advocacy group launched

On June 4, 2026, Cointelegraph reported that nearly a dozen candidates in California, New Jersey, and South Dakota won or advanced in state primaries after receiving support from political action committees (PACs) backed by cryptocurrency industry interests. PACs including Fairshake, Protect Progress, and Defend American Jobs contributed $3.5 million in advertisements to support candidates favorable to digital asset regulation. Major crypto firms such as Coinbase and Ripple Labs are the principal supporters of these committees.

The candidate slate included victories from both Democratic and Republican contenders. In California, Jacqui Irwin, Ted Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, Dave Min, Mike McGuire, Hilda Solis, George Whitesides, Lou Correa, and Lateefah Simon either won or advanced. Rob Menendez succeeded in New Jersey, while Mike Rounds advanced in South Dakota. The surge in PAC election spending signals a shift toward supporting leaders who prioritize pro-crypto policies as legislative debates loom ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections.

The industry also launched a new hybrid PAC, Defend Developers, to back legislators who advocate for software developers and ecosystem builders in digital assets. Leadership for this PAC includes representatives from the DeFi Education Fund, Orca Creative, Solana Policy Institute, and Uniswap Labs. As of June 4, 2026, the Federal Election Commission had not released official funding or expenditure data for Defend Developers.

Cointelegraph noted that the rise in PAC activity marks heightened political mobilization from the cryptocurrency sector as the 2026 midterms approach, with Maryland named as the next target for PAC advertising strategy.