Voters in North Carolina, Texas and Arkansas will choose some of the first candidates for the 2026 U.S. midterms as primary season begins — decisions that could shape the next Congress and future crypto policy.
In Texas, Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett is contesting the seat held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Crockett, who joined the House in 2023, voted for the stablecoin payments GENIUS Act in July and for FIT21, an earlier version of a digital-asset market-structure bill, though she opposed the later CLARITY Act. Her 2022 House run drew roughly $2 million from crypto-aligned PACs: Protect Our Future reportedly spent $1 million and Web3 Forward another $1 million. Crockett said in January she had not accepted “any corporate PAC money” for her 2026 Senate bid, but outside committees can still back her through media buys or negative ads. Political tracker AdImpact reported more than $122 million had been spent on the Texas Senate primary by Feb. 27.
Crockett faces state Rep. James Talarico in the Democratic primary. Cornyn, the Republican incumbent, is challenged by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and others. The Texas contest is one of many 2026 races that could shift congressional control: 33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are up.
Crypto-focused groups may again pour money into key contests. Fairshake, a super PAC backed by firms including Ripple Labs and Coinbase, spent over $133 million on media in 2024 backing Ohio’s Bernie Moreno and other races. Supporters such as Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and former Blockchain Association CEO Kristin Smith credited that effort with helping produce what they called the “most pro-crypto Congress” in history, which advanced the GENIUS Act and moved toward comprehensive market-structure legislation.
Fairshake reported about $193 million on hand ahead of the midterms and has already targeted races in Alabama and Texas. Its affiliate Protect Progress said in February it had set aside $1.5 million to oppose the reelection of Rep. Al Green, citing Green’s hostility to a growing Texas crypto community. The advocacy group Stand With Crypto lists Green as “strongly against crypto,” while his primary challenger Christian Menefee is rated as “strongly supports crypto.”
The broader political backdrop remains influential. Many in the crypto industry backed Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign; after he took office he replaced SEC Chair Gary Gensler with Paul Atkins, pardoned several crypto figures including former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, and signed the GENIUS Act into law. Trump’s administration and family ties to crypto continue to prompt conflict-of-interest concerns among some lawmakers. His term runs through January 2029.
Cointelegraph reached out to a spokesperson for comment on Tuesday’s primary but had not received a response by publication.
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