politics
March 18, 2026
AI, crypto industries dump millions into Illinois primaries to mixed results
Illinois' early primary shows the limits of the AI and cryptocurrency industries' spending power on shaping Congress.
TL;DR
- Fairshake, a crypto PAC backed by major industry players, spent over $10 million opposing Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who won her primary.
- Two other candidates opposed by Fairshake, La Shawn Ford and Robert Peters, had mixed results, with Ford winning his primary and Peters losing.
- Fairshake did achieve wins by backing Rep. Nikki Budzinski and Melissa Bean in their respective primaries.
- AI PACs also experienced mixed results, with Leading the Future backing a winning candidate but also supporting a losing one.
- The spending by these PACs indicates a push for favored regulatory structures for the crypto and AI industries.
- Other PAC networks, like Public First Action, also participated in primaries, supporting candidates across both parties.
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