The pro-crypto political action committee Protect Progress is planning to spend $1.5 million to oppose Texas Rep. Al Green in the upcoming Democratic primary, citing his history of resisting cryptocurrency legislation.
In a statement to The Hill on Thursday, Protect Progress — an affiliate of the major crypto-focused super PAC Fairshake — criticized Green’s stance. “As a member of the Financial Services Committee, Representative Al Green has decided to try and stop American innovation in its tracks,” the group said.
Green, a Democrat representing Texas’s 9th Congressional District since 2005, voted against the stablecoin-regulating GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act, two cryptocurrency-related bills passed by the House last year.
“Texas voters can no longer sit by and have representation in Congress that is actively hostile toward a growing Texas crypto community,” Protect Progress said, adding that it aims to support candidates who favor innovation, economic growth and broader wealth creation.
The move marks the crypto industry’s latest effort to shape congressional races ahead of the November midterm elections. During the 2024 cycle, the sector became one of the biggest political spenders, with Fairshake alone reportedly investing about $130 million to help elect pro-crypto candidates.
While super PACs can raise unlimited funds from donors, they are prohibited from directly contributing to or coordinating with campaigns. Instead, they typically spend on advertising and other independent efforts to back preferred candidates.
Green is set to face Christian Menefee in the March Democratic primary for the newly redrawn Houston-area district.
Texas will hold its primary on March 3, alongside Arkansas and North Carolina, with the general election scheduled for Nov. 3.
Meanwhile, crypto advocacy group Stand With Crypto, which tracks lawmakers’ digital asset positions, currently rates Green as “strongly against crypto” based on his public statements and voting record.
Christian Menefee has expressed support for blockchain technology, earning a “strongly supports crypto” rating from Stand With Crypto based on his responses to the group’s questionnaire. In one response, Menefee highlighted the potential for blockchain-based legislation to address real-world issues, such as preventing deed fraud by recording property records on a blockchain.
“That kind of innovation could protect working families from scams and modernize outdated government systems,” Menefee said. “I’d support or introduce bills that promote practical, public-serving blockchain use cases like this.”
In a separate development, another Fairshake affiliate, Defend American Jobs, announced Tuesday that it plans to spend $5 million backing crypto-friendly Republican Barry Moore in his campaign for the US Senate.
Fairshake also revealed in January that it had raised $193 million ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, underscoring the crypto industry’s growing political influence.
