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ZEC $1,138 Crypto PACs escalate spending against Sherrod Brown in Ohio Senate race
Fairshake affiliate Defend American Jobs reported $46.67 million in Ohio spending, exceeding its $30 million pledge by 55.6%.
Key takeaways
- Spending topped $52 million. Two crypto-aligned committees reported $52,612,693.43 combined in Ohio's Senate contest.
- The pledge grew by 55.6%. Defend American Jobs' $46.67 million exceeded Fairshake's $30 million commitment by 55.6%.
- Nebraska drew $6.72 million. Defend American Jobs reported $6.72 million opposing Dan Osborn in Nebraska's Senate race.
What happened
Crypto-aligned political action committees have increased spending in Ohio's 2026 Senate race. Defend American Jobs, a Fairshake affiliate backing Republican candidates, reported $46,672,296.18 in cumulative Ohio expenditures in an Oct. 15 Federal Election Commission filing. The money funded advertisements opposing former lawmaker Sherrod Brown and media supporting Republican incumbent Jon Husted.
The total exceeds what Fairshake said in September it initially planned to spend opposing Brown's return to the Senate: $30 million. The latest cumulative figure puts Defend American Jobs' Ohio spending $16,672,296.18 above that pledge, a 55.6% gain.
Digital Freedom Fund, a super PAC created by Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, reported cumulative Ohio spending of $5,940,397.25 in its Oct. 11 disclosure. Its newly disclosed $2.97 million covered direct-mail printing and postage through Minute Mail Consulting Group, with dissemination dates of Oct. 8. Together, the two committees' reported expenditures in the Brown-Husted contest total $52,612,693.43.
Brown, who lost his previous seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in November 2024, is seeking a Senate comeback. Husted entered the Senate in January 2025 after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to replace JD Vance. Brown said in an interview aired Friday on Pod Save America: "I've spent my career taking on Wall Street, taking on big pharma, taking on big oil and been successful in many cases."
Why it matters
The spending shows crypto interests treating the Ohio contest as a priority. Fairshake has said it intends to "back pro-crypto candidates" in 2026 to fill the next session of Congress with lawmakers supportive of industry-favored policies. The September account identified Brown's former position as Senate Banking Committee chairman and his opposition to several industry-backed policies among the reasons crypto groups targeted the contest.
The effort extends beyond Ohio. Defend American Jobs reported spending more than $6.7 million to oppose Independent candidate Dan Osborn in Nebraska's Senate race. The Fellowship committee, backed by Cantor Fitzgerald and Anchorage Digital, reported spending more than $11 million between August 2025 and August 2026, largely on media supporting House and Senate candidates.
Fairshake's Ohio expenditures have already exceeded its 2024 efforts, when the PAC spent $41 million supporting Moreno and opposing Brown. Coinbase, Ripple Labs and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz are among the Fairshake network's financial backers. The PAC reported in January that it held $193 million in cash on hand ahead of the elections.
What is still unclear
- Cointelegraph reached out to Fairshake and Husted's campaign for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Questions readers ask
How much have crypto PACs spent in Ohio's Senate race?
Defend American Jobs reported $46,672,296.18 in cumulative Ohio expenditures in its Oct. 15 filing. Digital Freedom Fund reported $5,940,397.25 in its Oct. 11 disclosure. Together, the two committees' reported expenditures total $52,612,693.43.
How much did Fairshake initially plan to spend against Sherrod Brown?
Fairshake committed in September to spend at least $30 million opposing Brown's return to the Senate. Defend American Jobs' latest cumulative figure is $16,672,296.18 above that pledge, a 55.6% gain.
Who funds the Fairshake network?
Coinbase, Ripple Labs and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz are among the Fairshake network's financial backers, according to a September report. Fairshake reported holding $193 million in cash on hand in January.
Where else are crypto PACs spending in 2026?
Defend American Jobs reported spending more than $6.7 million to oppose Independent candidate Dan Osborn in Nebraska's Senate race. The Fellowship committee reported spending more than $11 million between August 2025 and August 2026, largely on media supporting House and Senate candidates.
