Fairshake backs 32 House candidates as crypto bill stalls

Crypto political group Fairshake said on Oct. 5 it would support 32 House candidates in November’s midterm elections, putting money behind lawmakers who backed a major crypto bill that stalled in the Senate. The slate includes 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats, according to The Associated Press.

Fairshake plans to spend $1 million each to support six candidates: Democrats Janelle Bynum of Oregon, Steven Horsford of Nevada and Derek Tran of California, and Republicans French Hill of Arkansas, Bryan Steil of Wisconsin and Bill Huizenga of Michigan. It did not say how much it plans to spend on the other 26 candidates.

Which candidates are on Fairshake’s slate?

The 32 candidates are all House incumbents who supported the CLARITY Act, which aims to set federal rules for digital asset markets. Fairshake’s backing is aimed at keeping supporters of crypto legislation in Congress as lawmakers look toward the next session.

The six receiving $1 million each include members with leadership roles. Hill chairs the House Financial Services Committee, and Steil leads its digital assets subcommittee. Bynum, Horsford and Tran are among the Democrats Fairshake selected for the same level of support, Roll Call reported.

Fairshake did not publish spending amounts for the rest of the slate. The group and its affiliated political committees reported about $120 million in cash at the end of August, the AP reported. Fairshake is a political action committee that can spend independently to support candidates.

Why is the stalled CLARITY Act part of the story?

The House passed the CLARITY Act in July 2025, but the Senate blocked it in September 2026 on a procedural vote. The bill would create a federal regulatory framework for digital assets, an industry priority. Lawmakers had not reached agreement on ethics protections, among other issues, according to Roll Call.

Fairshake says it backs candidates from both parties based on their crypto positions. Its spokesperson, Geoff Vetter, told the AP that the group had spent $40 million supporting 29 Democrats and $31 million supporting 28 Republicans in primaries and special elections this year.

The House spending plan follows a larger move in the Senate: Fairshake said in September it planned to spend nearly $30 million opposing Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown, who is running against Republican Sen. Jon Husted. The group has not said whether it will make further House or Senate investments before the midterms.

References

• The Associated Press — apnews.com
• Roll Call reported — rollcall.com