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Stand With Crypto has announced its first Senate endorsements of the 2026 election cycle, backing candidates in Ohio, Iowa and New Hampshire after the CLARITY Act failed to advance in the Senate. The crypto advocacy organization says its network of more than three million advocates will now increase its election efforts, including additional advertising in several competitive House races.
Stand With Crypto Announces First Senate Endorsements
Stand With Crypto announced its first round of Senate endorsements on September 30, roughly two weeks after the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, commonly called the CLARITY Act, failed to clear a procedural Senate vote.
The Coinbase-backed advocacy organization announced endorsements for three Senate candidates:
- Republican Sen. Jon Husted in Ohio
- Republican Ashley Hinson in Iowa
- Democrat Chris Pappas in New Hampshire
The endorsements represent Stand With Crypto’s latest effort to make digital-asset policy an issue in the 2026 midterm elections.
CLARITY Act Failure Shifts Focus Toward Elections
The Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act during a September 15 procedural vote, preventing the legislation from moving toward a final vote at that stage.
The legislation is intended to establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets and clarify regulatory responsibilities in U.S. crypto markets.
Stand With Crypto Executive Director Mason Lynaugh said the organization is shifting its attention toward electing candidates it believes will support clearer digital-asset rules following the unsuccessful Senate vote.
The organization says it represents more than three million crypto advocates nationwide.
Ohio Senate Race Gets Crypto Industry Attention
One of the most closely watched endorsements is Jon Husted in Ohio.
Husted is running against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who previously chaired the Senate Banking Committee.
Ohio has already been the focus of significant crypto-industry political spending. During the 2024 election, the crypto-focused Fairshake super PAC spent approximately $12 million supporting Republican Bernie Moreno, who defeated Brown.
Stand With Crypto’s endorsement of Husted puts digital-asset policy back into the conversation surrounding Ohio’s Senate race.
Stand With Crypto Expands House Campaign
The Senate races aren’t the organization’s only focus.
Stand With Crypto also announced additional House endorsements and said it plans to increase advertising spending across six House races.
Newly backed candidates include:
- Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures of Alabama
- Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa
Advertising will also increase in races involving Democratic Rep. Don Davis and Republican Rep. Bryan Steil.
According to Stand With Crypto, the newly endorsed House incumbents supported the CLARITY Act when it passed the House. The organization had previously announced endorsements of 32 House candidates in August.
Past Crypto Support Hasn’t Guaranteed Future Votes
The 2026 CLARITY Act fight also demonstrates that previous crypto-industry support for candidates doesn’t necessarily translate into support for every subsequent crypto bill.
Fairshake supported Democrats Ruben Gallego and Elissa Slotkin during the 2024 election cycle. Both senators later voted against advancing the CLARITY Act during the September procedural vote.
Stand With Crypto subsequently updated its candidate scorecards to reflect lawmakers’ positions on that vote. Its current scorecard, for example, records Gallego as voting against the September 15 cloture vote while showing that he previously voted to advance the legislation out of the Senate Banking Committee in May.
Crypto Policy Moves From Congress to the Campaign Trail
Stand With Crypto and other crypto advocacy organizations spent heavily during the 2024 elections, and the latest endorsements show digital-asset policy becoming part of another election cycle.
The immediate catalyst is the CLARITY Act’s failure to advance on September 15, but bipartisan discussions around digital-asset market structure have continued since that vote.
For Stand With Crypto, the next phase includes Senate endorsements, House endorsements and increased advertising, as the organization attempts to make crypto regulation a prominent issue ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
