Crypto PAC pours another $1M into Michigan House race
Summary
Protect Progress, an affiliate of Fairshake backed largely by Ripple Labs and Coinbase, has increased spending in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District primary. FEC filings show more than $2 million in media buys supporting Rep. Shri Thanedar and attacking Democratic challenger Donavan McKinney, nearly doubling the PAC’s spending from a week earlier. Thanedar has backed key crypto legislation in Congress, including the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act. McKinney criticized the spending as crypto lobbying repayment tied to Trump’s crypto-related gains. Fairshake and its affiliates have become major spenders in U.S. elections, with large investments already flowing into 2026 races in Michigan, Texas, Illinois, Washington, and Alabama.
