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Protect Progress, a crypto-aligned political action committee, has spent more than $986,000 in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District Democratic primary.
Federal Election Commission filings show the Fairshake affiliate funded media supporting incumbent Representative Shri Thanedar and opposing state Representative Donavan McKinney ahead of the August 4 election.
Protect Progress Returns After Spending $1M in 2024
The spending follows Protect Progress’ intervention in the same district during the 2024 election, when it deployed about $1 million to support Thanedar.
Thanedar won that Democratic primary with 54.9% of the vote before securing 68.6% in the general election.
The latest expenditure brings Protect Progress’ spending tied to Thanedar’s races across the two cycles to roughly $2 million.
Fairshake Network Reports $191M for 2026 Elections
Protect Progress is part of the crypto-aligned Fairshake network. Fairshake and its affiliates have reported a combined election war chest of about $191 million for the 2026 cycle.
The advertisements qualify as independent expenditures, meaning they must not be coordinated with Thanedar, his campaign or a political party. Super PACs may raise unlimited funds for such spending under federal election rules.
Thanedar Backed Three Major Crypto Bills in 2025
Thanedar voted in July 2025 for the CLARITY Act, the GENIUS Act and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act. He said the bills could establish clearer digital asset rules, add consumer protections and expand financial access in Detroit.
He has also supported the Promoting Innovation in Blockchain Development Act, adding to his pro-crypto record in Congress. Protect Progress has not published a detailed explanation linking each expenditure to specific votes.
McKinney Criticizes Crypto Industry Campaign Spending
McKinney criticized the outside spending, accusing the crypto lobby of rewarding Thanedar for supporting legislation backed by President Donald Trump and the industry.
McKinney has not established a comparable public record on federal crypto policy. The spending places crypto policy inside a local Democratic primary where outside money has become part of the campaign dispute.
August 4 Primary Will Decide the Democratic Nominee
Michigan’s 13th District covers much of Detroit and nearby Wayne County communities. Thanedar and McKinney are competing in a heavily Democratic seat where the primary winner will advance to the November general election.
Early in-person voting begins July 25 and runs through August 2. The next confirmed development is the August 4 primary result, which will show whether Protect Progress’ latest spending helped Thanedar secure another nomination.
