Crypto super PAC to back candidates in 32 House races

A major cryptocurrency super PAC is backing candidates in 32 House races with one month to go until the midterm elections.

Fairshake is throwing its weight behind 13 Democrats and 19 Republicans, spokesperson Geoff Vetter confirmed to The Hill on Monday.

The super PAC is spending $1 million each on six candidates — Reps. Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Derek Tran (D-Calif.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) and Bryan Steil (R-Wis.).

Hill chairs the House Financial Services Committee, while Steil leads the panel’s digital assets subcommittee, with both championing efforts to pass crypto legislation. Huizenga and Horsford are also prominent voices in the digital asset space.

“Fairshake has always been and always will be an issue-focused organization,” Vetter said in a statement. “We back pro-crypto candidates who support American innovation in both parties.”

“We’ve won 53 of the 57 races we engaged in this cycle and look forward to continuing to build on the largest pro-crypto caucus in American history,” he continued.

Among the Republicans receiving Fairshake’s support are several other key players on digital assets, including Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.), House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (Pa.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (Mo.).

The crypto super PAC is also backing GOP Reps. Ben Cline (Va.), Troy Downing (Mont.), Michelle Fischbach (Minn.), Scott Fitzgerald (Wis.), Mike Haridopolos (Fla.), Pat Harrigan (N.C.), Brian Jack (Ga.), Frank Lucas (Okla.), Lisa McClain (Mich.), August Pfluger (Texas), Guy Reschenthaler (Pa.), David Rouzer (N.C.) and Austin Scott (Ga.).

The other Democrats receiving its support are Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (Calif.) and Reps. Brendan Boyle (Pa.), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Jonathan Jackson (Ill.), Lucy McBath (Ga.), Sarah McBride (Del.), Jimmy Panetta (Calif.), Hillary Scholten (Mich.), Terri Sewell (Ala.) and Suhas Subramanyam (Va.).

Fairshake’s support for Democrats is notable after a key crypto bill failed to clear a procedural hurdle in the Senate last month.

Every Democrat and a handful of Republicans blocked the measure from advancing in the upper chamber, much to the dismay of the industry, raising questions about whether it would turn its ire on Democrats in the midterms.

But Fairshake, which still had $108 million in cash on hand as of the end of August, appears keen to signal support on both sides of the aisle.