- An FEC filing shows Fairshake affiliate Defend American Jobs raised its anti-Brown spending to about $46.66 million.
- Fairshake also expanded its House map on Oct. 5 with 32 incumbents and an initial $6 million committed to six.
Fairshake spending has climbed again in Ohio as the crypto industry’s biggest political spender increases pressure on Sherrod Brown. A Federal Election Commission filing signed Oct. 15 shows new opposition spending by Defend American Jobs, a Fairshake affiliate active in Republican-friendly races, pushing the calendar-year-to-date total against the Ohio Democrat to about $46.66 million. The new filing arrived days after Fairshake widened its House plans, saying it would support 32 incumbents. Together, those moves show a broader political campaign at the same time the group is directing its largest 2026 effort toward Brown, a longtime crypto skeptic and former chair of the Senate Banking Committee.
Fairshake spending climbs in Ohio
A new filing with the Federal Election Commission details fresh outlays aimed at defeating Brown. According to the filing, Defend American Jobs reported a $5.2 million media buy opposing him, followed by another roughly $1.95 million buy days later, along with media-production costs. Those additions took the total disclosed opposition spending against Brown to about $46.66 million.
The filing also said that parallel spending was being used to support Brown’s Republican opponent, Jon Husted, who inherited the seat after being appointed last year. With the Ohio total now listed at about $46.66 million for the calendar year, the contest has become the most expensive target of the crypto industry’s 2026 campaign.
Why Brown is a major target
The scale of Fairshake spending in Ohio stands out compared with the group’s activity elsewhere. The report said Fairshake had earlier indicated plans to spend at least $30 million against Brown, but the latest filing shows that figure has already been exceeded by a wide margin.
Brown is described in the source as a longtime crypto skeptic. Before losing in 2024, he chaired the Senate Banking Committee and from that position stalled market-structure legislation. The source also notes that Fairshake spent roughly $40 million in the 2024 race tied to Brown’s defeat, showing that the industry’s focus on him did not end after that contest.
Fairshake spending expands to House races
Days before the new Senate filing, Fairshake announced a broader House effort. On Oct. 5, the PAC network said it would support 32 House incumbents, including 19 Republicans and 13 Democrats. It presented itself as an issue-focused group backing pro-crypto candidates who support American innovation in both parties.
The network committed an initial $6 million to six candidates, with $1 million each going to Republicans French Hill, Bill Huizenga, and Bryan Steil, and Democrats Janelle Bynum, Steven Horsford, and Derek Tran. The source says all 32 of the incumbents voted to advance the Clarity Act when it passed the House in July 2025.
Funding and the wider campaign
Fairshake is funded largely by Coinbase, Ripple, and Andreessen Horowitz, according to the source. It entered September with roughly $120 million in cash and is expected to spend more than $100 million across House and Senate races this cycle.
The article also places this activity alongside efforts by Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-backed advocacy group that has issued its own midterm endorsements. The source says the industry’s political push hardened after the Clarity Act stalled in the Senate, with money being directed toward shaping the Congress that will decide crypto’s rules.
Conclusion
Fairshake spending now centers heavily on Ohio, where a new FEC filing put anti-Brown spending at about $46.66 million after additional media buys and production costs. The figures make Sherrod Brown the crypto industry’s most expensive 2026 target in the source material. At the same time, Fairshake has widened its election activity beyond the Senate race by backing 32 House incumbents and committing an initial $6 million to six of them. With roughly $120 million in cash entering September and expectations of more than $100 million in total spending this cycle, the group’s latest filings show both concentrated pressure in Ohio and a broader congressional strategy.
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