Michigan State Representative Donavan McKinney defeated two-term US House incumbent Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. The result came despite more than $2 million in media spending from a crypto-linked PAC supporting Thanedar.
Michigan State Representative Donavan McKinney defeated two-term US House incumbent Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. The result came despite more than $2 million in media spending from a crypto-linked PAC supporting Thanedar.
The race mattered to the crypto sector because it tested whether major industry-backed political spending could protect a candidate with a record of supporting crypto-friendly legislation. Protect Progress, a super PAC affiliated with Fairshake, spent more than $2 million on media backing Thanedar and opposing McKinney.
Michigan State Representative Donavan McKinney defeated incumbent US Representative Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, according to results reported by The New York Times and cited by Cointelegraph. McKinney led with 51.9% of the vote to Thanedar’s 48.1% as of Wednesday, ending the two-term lawmaker’s reelection bid.
The race mattered to the crypto sector because it tested whether major industry-backed political spending could protect a candidate with a record of supporting crypto-friendly legislation. Protect Progress, a super PAC affiliated with Fairshake, spent more than $2 million on media backing Thanedar and opposing McKinney.
Fairshake and its affiliates have become prominent players in US election spending, with Cointelegraph reporting that the network spent more than $170 million in the 2024 election cycle on races involving pro- and anti-crypto candidates. The groups have continued to put money into primary contests ahead of the November general election.
During the campaign, McKinney accused the crypto industry of trying to reward Thanedar for his voting record, pointing to the incumbent’s support for bills such as the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act. Protect Progress is linked to Fairshake, which is primarily backed by crypto companies Coinbase and Ripple.
Thanedar also reportedly lost more than $600,000 in the second quarter of 2026 after investing $3.7 million of campaign funds into crypto companies. McKinney is now set to face Republican Taras Nykoriak in November.
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