Stand With Crypto (SWC), the advocacy organization founded by cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has announced its electoral strategy for the 2026 US midterm elections, identifying six key battleground states and singling out two congressional districts as top priorities. The group says its efforts will focus on races in Iowa, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, where it believes crypto-minded voters could prove decisive. The announcement was made on a Thursday in a formal statement from the organization.
SWC identified Ohio’s 9th Congressional District and Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District as its highest-priority targets for the midterms. The incumbents in those districts — Democrat Marcy Kaptur and Republican Scott Perry, respectively — are described by the group as having records on crypto policy that raise concerns. Perry voted against the GENIUS Act in 2025, while Kaptur voted against both a payment stablecoins bill and the CLARITY market structure bill.
To mobilize supporters, SWC says it will deploy an aggressive voter outreach operation that includes paid media campaigns across digital channels and direct mail, targeted SMS messaging, and organized efforts through email and social media platforms. The group also maintains a public-facing platform that compiles information on candidates’ positions on crypto policy, drawing from voting records, public statements, and responses to its own questionnaire. SWC was launched in 2023 with the stated goal of uniting crypto advocates globally and is one of several industry-aligned organizations expected to play a role in the 2026 cycle.
The group reported that approximately 270 candidates it deemed pro-crypto won seats in the US House of Representatives and Senate during the 2024 elections, with many of those same individuals now seeking reelection. SWC has also signaled that congressional votes on crypto market structure legislation could affect lawmakers’ reelection prospects. A February survey of 1,000 crypto holders conducted by the group found that 74% of respondents said they would be more likely to back a candidate who supports clearer cryptocurrency regulations, with 31% saying they would be much more likely to do so.
Crypto-affiliated political action committees have already begun influencing some 2026 primary contests. Protect Progress, an affiliate of crypto-backed PAC Fairshake, spent $1.5 million opposing the reelection bid of Texas Representative Al Green, a congressman who has held his seat since 2005. Green survived the Democratic primary but will face Christian Menefee in a runoff scheduled for May; SWC has rated Menefee as strongly supportive of crypto.
Not all industry-backed efforts have succeeded. In Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton won the Democratic Senate primary over Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, despite crypto-linked lobbyists spending heavily on media buys in support of Krishnamoorthi. Stratton is widely expected to win the general election and succeed retiring Democratic Senator Dick Durbin.
Ohio has emerged as a recurring focal point for crypto industry spending. In 2024, significant sums were directed toward unseating Senator Sherrod Brown, who ultimately lost to Republican Bernie Moreno. Brown announced in August 2025 that he intends to run again, a development that may once again draw substantial industry attention to the state. Former Ohio Representative Tim Ryan, who also serves on Coinbase’s Global Advisory Council, told Cointelegraph that he expects a large amount of money to be spent in Ohio once more, given the political landscape and the candidates involved.
Originally reported by CoinTelegraph.
