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Defend American Jobs, a crypto-backed political action committee affiliated with Fairshake, spent about $514,000 on media supporting Rep. Jim Baird before he won Indiana’s 4th Congressional District Republican primary.
The spending was disclosed in a Saturday filing with the Federal Election Commission. Baird defeated state Rep. Craig Haggard and other Republican challengers in the May 5 primary as he seeks reelection to his House seat.
$514K Media Buy Backed Baird Before Primary
The media buy shows Fairshake-linked groups are already active in 2026 primary contests, not only general election races.
Defend American Jobs has focused on Republican candidates viewed as supportive of crypto policy priorities. Its spending for Baird came before voters selected the party’s nominee in a district where the Republican primary is a key stage of the race.
The support also came as crypto legislation remains active in Washington, giving industry-backed groups a reason to defend lawmakers who have supported digital asset bills.
Baird Backed GENIUS and CLARITY Crypto Bills
Baird has supported major crypto legislation in Congress, including the GENIUS Act stablecoin bill and the CLARITY Act market structure bill. Both measures are central to the digital asset industry’s push for clearer federal rules around stablecoins, exchanges and token markets.
Stand With Crypto, the Coinbase-aligned advocacy group, rates Baird as a lawmaker who “strongly supports crypto.” The rating gives context for why Baird fits the profile of candidates backed by crypto-aligned PACs.
Fairshake Entered 2026 With $193M
Defend American Jobs is one of Fairshake’s affiliated PACs, alongside Protect Progress. The groups are expected to spend heavily in the 2026 midterms to support candidates they view as aligned with the crypto industry.
Fairshake had $193 million in cash on hand as of January. The group and its affiliates have already spent millions in 2026 races, including about $8.6 million in Illinois contests and more than $1 million in Texas races.
The Indiana spending adds to that early push. For the crypto industry, the immediate goal is to protect lawmakers who backed stablecoin and market structure legislation before the next Congress is decided.
