Illinois lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Tuesday, defeating Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in a high-dollar, crypto‑tinged contest that tested the influence of crypto super-PAC money in Illinois politics.
Why it matters for crypto
- Illinois’ Senate seat is rated “Solid Democratic” by the Cook Political Report, meaning the primary essentially decided who will represent the state in the Senate in 2027. That raises the stakes for crypto stakeholders who poured resources into the race.
- Krishnamoorthi drew nearly $10 million in backing from Fairshake, a crypto super‑PAC that has been aggressively funding primary contests and running hard‑hitting ads. Fairshake’s involvement made the race a referendum of sorts on how crypto money is deployed in U.S. primaries.
Ad strategy and ratings
- Fairshake’s ads focused more on attacking Stratton than directly promoting Krishnamoorthi — a tactic the PAC used in the 2024 cycle. The group has favored races where it thinks it can claim wins; that messaging helped it tout a high success rate among its backed candidates last year.
- Stand With Crypto, a Coinbase‑backed advocacy group that grades lawmakers on crypto friendliness, rated Stratton an “F.” The group said that grade was driven largely by one public comment in which Stratton criticized her opponent’s supporters as “MAGA‑backed crypto bros,” and noted she has not voted on crypto legislation or issued broader crypto policy statements. Krishnamoorthi earned an “A” from the group based on his voting record and answers to its questionnaire.
Mixed results for Fairshake in Illinois
- Fairshake’s influence was uneven across Illinois races. The PAC spent heavily against La Shawn Ford in the 7th Congressional District — nearly $2 million — but Ford still won his primary. Ford’s campaign sent Fairshake a cease‑and‑desist letter claiming the PAC’s ads were “defamatory,” according to the Forest Park Review.
- Three Fairshake‑backed candidates did win primaries Tuesday: Donna Miller in the 2nd District, Melissa Bean in the 8th, and Rep. Nikki Budzinski in the 13th. Follow the Crypto tallied the PAC’s spending in those contests at roughly $800,000 against Roger Peters in the IL‑2 race; about $560,000 supporting Bean in IL‑8 via Fairshake’s Protect Progress affiliate; and under $84,000 supporting Budzinski in IL‑13.
Fairshake’s response
- Fairshake spokesperson Geoff Vetter said in a statement: “We congratulate pro‑crypto leaders like Donna Miller, Melissa Bean, and Rep. Nikki Budzinski. We’re proud to take on tough fights at this critical moment for American innovation and consumers. Tonight, Illinois voters have elected more pro‑crypto members of Congress and we are just getting started in our nationwide fight for American innovation.”
- The PAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the Senate or 7th District races, or to Ford’s allegations.
Context and next steps
- With Stratton’s primary victory, Illinois’ Senate pick is likely set for the general election in November. For crypto advocates and opponents alike, the outcome highlights both the clout and the limits of super‑PAC spending: large sums can shape narratives and outcomes in some races, but they do not guarantee wins across a slate of contests.
UPDATE (March 18, 2026, 03:08 UTC): Amends amount spent by Fairshake in Illinois Senate primary.
UPDATE (March 18, 2026, 03:27 UTC): Adds Fairshake statement and additional detail about races it supported.
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