Democrat backed by Ripple co-founder’s PAC wins Colorado primary
Manny Rutinel won the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 8th congressional district and will advance to the November election, defeating Shannon Bird 61.7% to 33.6%. His campaign was boosted by the You Can Push Back Super PAC, which reportedly spent about $1 million on media support after receiving $3.5 million from Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen. Rutinel has a “strongly supports crypto” rating from Stand With Crypto based on his positions on stablecoins, market structure, and regulatory clarity. More broadly, Public Citizen says the crypto industry has spent about $189 million so far to influence the 2026 US elections, mostly through PACs, continuing a strategy of backing “pro-crypto” candidates. A separate poll found majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are worried about crypto’s influence on lawmakers and want the industry regulated like other financial firms.
