The political action committee (PAC) Protect Progress has used more than $1.3 million to support the campaign of a Democratic candidate for Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District.
According to expenditures filed with the Federal Election Commission, the Protect Progress Super PAC disseminated more than $1.3 million in a media buy to support Yassamin Ansari. The Arizona Democrat will compete for the congressional seat in a July 30 primary against Raquel Terán and Duane Wooten.
Though Terán’s and Wooten’s policy positions on crypto and blockchain were unclear at the time of publication, Ansari’s campaign website stated she supported “lead[ing] the way in the blockchain and crypto innovation.” The Democratic candidate also completed Coinbase’s Stand With Crypto questionnaire, suggesting she would support pro-crypto legislation if elected to Congress.
Linda Sánchez, a Democrat representing California’s 38th Congressional District and former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, reportedly called Protect Progress’ support of Ansari as a means “to buy a seat in Congress” and subvert democracy. Cointelegraph reached out to Ansari’s campaign but did not receive a comment at the time of publication.
Protect Progress’ website states the Super PAC “supports Democratic candidates committed to securing the United States as the home to innovators building the next generation of the internet,” explicitly citing blockchain technology. The group is also affiliated with the Fairshake PAC, which has funded attack ads against Democratic candidates in California and New York.
Crypto on the ballot
In April, Protect Progress spent roughly $3.7 million to support Democratic candidates in Texas’ 32nd Congressional District and Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. Shomari Figures and Julie Johnson will face off against Republican candidates in their respective races in the Nov. 5 general election.
For the first time in a US election, major party presidential candidates have taken a position on crypto, making it more likely that single-issue voters could be swayed by promises of protecting Bitcoin (BTC) mining or otherwise. Republican candidate Donald Trump will accept his party’s nomination for president on July 18, having moved from calling BTC a “scam” in 2019 to accepting campaign contributions in crypto in 2024.