Crypto Group Spends Big to Block Sherrod Brown's Return to Senate

A group aligned with the cryptocurrency industry has spent over $11 million on ads opposing Democrat Sherrod Brown in Ohio's US Senate race. The Defend American Jobs PAC, affiliated with Fairshake, reported spending $11.4 million on media supporting Republican Jon Husted and opposing Brown.

The ad buys are part of a larger pledge by Fairshake to spend $30 million in the Ohio race. Brown has been a vocal critic of pro-crypto legislation and policies, which may have contributed to the group's efforts to block his potential return to the Senate.

In 2024, the Ohio Senate race between Brown and Republican Bernie Moreno saw over $300 million in spending from outside groups like Fairshake. The crypto-aligned PAC and its affiliates alone spent around $41 million to oppose Brown and support Moreno, who won the election with 50.2% of the vote.

Brown has stated that his goal is to ensure cryptocurrency expands opportunity for Ohioans and does not put them at risk.