The post Crypto Money Falls Short as Stratton Wins Illinois Senate Primary appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Juliana Stratton defeated crypto-backed Raja Krishnamoorthi despite $10 million in PAC support. Fairshake’s strategy of heavy spending and attack ads failed in the high-profile Senate race. Crypto-backed candidates saw mixed results, winning smaller races but losing key contests. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton won the Democratic Senate primary, defeating Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi despite heavy crypto-backed spending. Krishnamoorthi received close to $10 million in support from crypto super PAC Fairshake. The group focused its spending on attack ads against Stratton rather than direct promotion. Interestingly, Fairshake typically backs candidates in races it expects to win, helping it claim a high success rate in 2024. Illinois is rated a “Solid Democratic” state, meaning Stratton is now the clear favorite to win the general election and take the Senate seat in 2027. Stratton Wins With Political Backing, Not Crypto Support Stratton secured backing from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and ran as the most progressive candidate among the top contenders. She defeated a crowded field of 11 candidates, including Krishnamoorthi and Representative Robin Kelly. Her campaign focused on raising the federal minimum wage to $25 and eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Krishnamoorthi, who finished second, called for party unity after the result. Crypto alignment did not help his campaign. Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase-linked non-profit advocacy group, gave him an “A” rating, while Stratton received an “F” due to limited engagement with crypto policy. Mixed Results for Crypto PAC Influence Fairshake’s broader strategy delivered mixed results across Illinois races. Three crypto-backed candidates won their primaries, i.e., Donna Miller in Illinois’ 2nd District, Melissa Bean in the 8th, and Nikki Budzinski in the 13th. The PAC spent around $560,000 supporting Bean, under $84,000 backing Budzinski, and also deployed funds through affiliates. However, it failed in key contests. Fairshake spent nearly $2 million opposing La Shawn…

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Filed under: News - @ March 18, 2026 2:28 pm