A crypto-aligned political action committee has signaled an expanded push into Ohio politics by endorsing a Senate candidate, a development that may foreshadow broader crypto spending in upcoming elections. Sentinel Action Fund, which describes itself as the “only conservative Super PAC advancing pro-crypto candidates and supporting pro-crypto innovation,” announced its support for Republican Jon Husted in the contest for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat.
Husted was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine in January 2025 to fill the vacancy created when JD Vance became vice president after the 2024 election. He is one of several Republicans competing ahead of Ohio’s May 5 primary. On the Democratic side, former Senator Sherrod Brown and Ron Kincaid are facing off in their primary.
In making the endorsement, Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson criticized Brown, saying he has “stood in the way of pro-innovation policies when it comes to digital assets.” Federal Election Commission filings as of Tuesday show no reported disbursements from Sentinel to Husted in 2026, but Sentinel and an affiliated organization, Right Vote, have signaled plans to invest heavily in Ohio, pledging more than $8 million in the state.
Sentinel disclosed roughly $9 million raised between January 2025 and March 2026. Notable contributions include $750,000 from the Solana Policy Institute and $250,000 from Multicoin Capital. Observers say the PAC’s activity in Ohio could be a bellwether for how crypto-aligned interests will allocate money in future U.S. races; crypto-backed PACs spent more than $40 million in Ohio in 2024 to support Republican Bernie Moreno’s effort to unseat Sherrod Brown.
Brown lost his seat in 2024 but announced in August that he would run for the Senate again. Moreno’s current seat is not up for contest until 2030.
Ohio’s political landscape also features other candidates with strong crypto ties. Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential contender and backer of the Bitcoin treasury company Strive, entered the Ohio gubernatorial race after leaving his federal post. He launched his campaign in February 2025 and has publicly supported the idea of creating a strategic Bitcoin reserve for the state.
Ramaswamy’s required financial disclosures filed on April 6 raised questions about potential conflicts of interest. He reported holding roughly a 10% stake in Strive, which disclosed ownership of about 13,768 Bitcoin—assets valued at over $1 billion—prompting concerns that state policies favoring a Bitcoin treasury could disproportionately benefit firms in which he has significant holdings.
Disclosure: A member of the immediate family of Staff Editor Robert Lakin has contributed less than $200 to the campaigns of Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown.
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