Crypto PAC Spends $11M Against Sherrod Brown in Ohio Senate Race

A crypto backed political group has put more than $11 million into ads supporting Republican Jon Husted and opposing Democrat Sherrod Brown, echoing the industry’s heavy spending in 2024.

Crypto PAC Spending in the Ohio Senate Race

In a Thursday filing with the Federal Election Commission, the Defend American Jobs PAC reported $11.4 million in media spending backing Husted and opposing Brown’s possible return to the Senate. The PAC is affiliated with Fairshake, a group backed by Coinbase and Ripple Labs, and the buys appear to be part of Fairshake’s initial $30 million pledge for the race. Brown formerly chaired the Senate Banking Committee and was among the more outspoken critics of pro-crypto policy in Congress.

Repeat of the 2024 Ohio Campaign

In 2024, Brown lost to Republican Bernie Moreno, 50.2% to 46.4%, in a race that drew over $300 million from outside groups. Fairshake and its affiliates alone spent about $41 million against Brown. Husted was appointed to his seat by Governor Mike DeWine after JD Vance became vice president. In August 2025, Brown said crypto is part of America’s economy and that his goal is to expand opportunity for Ohioans without putting them at risk.

Crypto Industry Donors in Ohio Politics

Vivek Ramaswamy, co-founder of asset manager Strive, won the Republican nomination for governor in May 2026 and faces Democrat Amy Acton in November. World Liberty Financial co-founders Chase Herro, Zak Folkman and Zachary Witkoff each gave the maximum $16,615 to his campaign. His PAC also received $20 million from Jeff Yass, $6 million from NYDIG founder Ross Stevens and $5,000 from the Bitcoin Voter Project.