Stand With Crypto, the advocacy organization launched by Coinbase in 2023 to promote what it called “clear, common-sense regulations for the crypto industry,” has announced several picks for the next session of the US Congress, spanning both Senate and House races. The bipartisan slate extends an endorsement strategy the group describes as rooted in track records rather than party lines, and the November midterms will put it to the test.

On Wednesday, Bloomberg first reported that the group intends to support candidates running for Senate seats in 2026, including Republicans Jon Husted in Ohio and Ashley Hinson in Iowa, as well as Democrat Chris Pappas in New Hampshire. Husted is defending his Senate seat against Democrat Sherrod Brown, who lost to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024 after outside groups spent more than $300 million on the Ohio race.

House endorsements and the political landscape

In addition to the Senate races, Stand With Crypto said it had endorsed several House of Representatives candidates, including Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Iowa and Democrat Shomari Figures in Alabama. The endorsements follow the group's August backing of 32 House candidates it described as “proven digital asset policy champions,” citing their potential to sway voters in key races.

The group's picks come as many polls show Democrats favored to regain control of the House and Senate in 2027. A shift in majority control of either chamber could change how lawmakers handle legislation such as the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, the crypto market structure bill designed to establish a federal regulatory framework for digital assets, which failed to secure enough votes for a crucial cloture motion in the Republican-controlled Senate earlier this month after passing the House with bipartisan support in 2025. Because the majority party sets the Senate's floor agenda, the midterm outcome will help determine whether the measure gets another vote in the next Congress.

How the CLARITY vote could shape the midterms

After the failed CLARITY vote on Sept. 15, Stand With Crypto warned of “consequences” for lawmakers who did not support the bill. With 34 days until the November midterm elections, some candidates have already received substantial funding from the crypto industry, funneled through political action committees (PACs) and direct donations to campaigns.

The Fairshake PAC, a group largely backed by contributions from Coinbase, Ripple Labs and Andreessen Horowitz, pledged an initial $30 million to support Husted over Brown in Ohio and had spent $82 million on candidates across the country as of June.

Speaking to Cointelegraph about the spending in the Senate run between Husted and Brown, Stand With Crypto Executive Director Mason Lynaugh said there “isn’t any evidence that crypto industry organizations are able to buy any assurances of who will win a race.” He described Husted as a “proven pro-crypto lawmaker” and said the endorsement reflected the Ohio lawmaker's vote in favor of the CLARITY Act, which he called the industry's “top policy priority.”

“[W]hen his opponent [Brown] was last in the Senate, he was leading anti-crypto voice from a very influential position on the Senate Banking Committee,” said Lynaugh. “Actions speak louder than words. While former Senator Brown’s recent remarks about crypto’s role in the national economy are encouraging, it’s track record that matters the most in our endorsement process.”

For readers tracking the issue, the immediate markers are the November results in these endorsed races and whether the CLARITY Act reaches the Senate floor again in the next Congress.

Source: Cointelegraph