Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress backed House and Senate candidates in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming after a Michigan primary loss for a Protect Progress-supported contender.
Fairshake-linked political groups Defend American Jobs and Protect Progress disclosed more than $1.5 million in spending ahead of the Aug. 18 primary elections to support House and Senate candidates in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming. Federal Election Commission (U.S. campaign finance regulator) filings showed Defend American Jobs, a Super PAC (independent political action committee), spent more than $500,000 in Alaska's sole congressional district to back Representative Nick Begich's re-election, while committing similar amounts to Florida 16th District Republican candidate Sydney Gruters and Wyoming Senate seat candidate Harriet Hageman. Protect Progress reported spending more than $50,000 in Florida's 23rd District to support Lois Frankel's re-election. Frankel, Begich and Hageman all voted in Congress in favor of the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act, underscoring how crypto-backed political money remains focused on candidates seen as supportive of digital-asset legislation even after Protect Progress-backed candidate Shri Thanedar lost a Michigan primary despite receiving more than $2 million in support.