Fairshake, the campaign finance arm of the crypto industry, has begun implementing its campaign strategies in its well-funded effort to pack Congress with lawmakers willing to pass pro-digital asset policy, and Democratic Rep. Al Green is the first lawmaker on its list of targets.
An affiliate of Fairshake’s political action committee, which has begun deploying its $193 million war chest in this year’s midterm 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 investors, co-sponsored a bill seeking to ban President Donald Trump from his personal interests in the cryptocurrency business and voted against crypto policy legislation. That opposition earned it an “F” grade from Stand With Crypto, a group that evaluates support for cryptocurrencies from politicians.
Green, who is among the ranking Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee who has direct involvement in cryptocurrency legislation, faces challengers in the Democratic primary for the newly redrawn Texas district he represents. The Texas primary will be held quickly next month, and veteran Congressman Green would have to defeat a younger Democrat, Christian Menefee, who just won a special election and took the seat in the redrawn district days ago.
“Texas voters can no longer sit back and have congressional representation that is actively hostile toward a growing Texas crypto community,” Fairshake affiliate super PAC 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 stance, and Stand With Crypto gives him an “A” grade.
In Green’s most recent election, in 2024, his campaign spent less than $450,000 to retain his seat, which was unopposed in the primary, and needed even less in 2022. But he has raised more than $700,000 so far in this tougher race. Still, that’s less than half of Fairshake’s spending against him.
Fairshake also announced this week that he 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 spokesperson. The super PAC typically spends 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.
