Fairshake Affiliate Spends $189K on Ads for Pro-Crypto Incumbent in Massachusetts Primary

A crypto-aligned political action committee has ramped up its involvement in the 2026 election cycle, dropping nearly $189,000 in media buys for a pro-crypto incumbent in Massachusetts. Protect Progress PAC, an affiliate of Fairshake, placed the ad buy in the state's 4th Congressional District ahead of Tuesday's primary, supporting Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss. Federal Election Commission records show the expenditure is the latest in Fairshake's campaign spending, which topped $130 million in the 2024 election cycle. Primary opponent Jason Poulos wrote to Auchincloss on August 16, demanding he "publicly condemn" Protect Progress' involvement. Poulos claimed that some of the funds were used to create "AI-generated spam" supporting Auchincloss, and noted that the incumbent has received $77,500 in direct donations from crypto industry sources since 2020. Auchincloss also voted for the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act in July 2025, a bill that remains pending in the Senate. Fairshake and its affiliates invested about $3.6 million in congressional races in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming this August. The group reported $122 million in cash on hand for the 2026 midterms. Massachusetts is among the last states to hold primaries this year, just over two months before the November general election.