Fairshake-Backed Crypto Candidates Win Primaries in Michigan, Washington

Fairshake, the political action committee backed by the cryptocurrency industry, scored another round of victories in primary elections in Michigan and Washington.

Crypto-focused news outlet The Block reported on August 5 that several candidates backed by Fairshake and aligned with the digital-asset industry won Democratic and Republican primaries held that day.

In Michigan, Republican Representative Bill Huizenga won his party's primary. Tech Influence Watch said Huizenga received about $512,000 in support from Defend American Jobs, a Republican-aligned PAC affiliated with Fairshake. Andreessen Horowitz, Winklevoss Capital and Coinbase also participated in the effort. At a House stablecoin hearing in March 2025, Huizenga said the US needs stablecoins to preserve the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency and that lawmakers must provide regulatory clarity.

In Washington, Democratic incumbents Suzan DelBene, Kim Schrier and Marilyn Strickland each won their primaries, while Republican Amanda McKinney advanced to the general election. All four were backed by Fairshake-affiliated PACs. Protect Progress, a Democratic-aligned PAC, spent $113,120 for DelBene, $105,040 for Schrier and $103,020 for Strickland. McKinney received $506,917 from Defend American Jobs.

Fairshake, which is backed by Coinbase and Andreessen Horowitz, said it had raised $193 million as of January ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The PAC has already claimed several victories this election cycle, including helping crypto-friendly candidate Christian Menefee defeat incumbent Representative Al Green in a Texas Democratic primary in May.