Correction: Shomari Figures did not win a primary in California, but rather in Alabama.
Jamaal Bowman, a House Representative for New York’s 16th Congressional District, has been defeated in the Democratic primary, resulting in a loss of his seat in 2025.
Based on a June 26 projection from NBC News, Democratic challenger George Latimer is expected to win by approximately 58% to 42%, with 84% of the vote counted at the time of publication. The Fairshake political action committee (PAC) spent over $2 million on a media campaign to oppose Bowman’s reelection, citing concerns about “pushing dangerous conspiracy theories,” rather than his voting record against pro-crypto bills.
During his time in Congress, Bowman voted against the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century (FIT21) Act, the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act, and a joint resolution overturning a Securities and Exchange Commission rule on banks handling crypto. Latimer, in contrast, has not made any notable statements on crypto or blockchain.
Bowman had the support of many party members, but interest groups, including Fairshake and the United Democracy Project, which is reportedly associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, spent $17 million to oppose the Democratic incumbent. Bowman has been openly critical of Israel following its military actions in Gaza.
Prior to the primary election, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) criticized Fairshake and the United Democracy Project for spending nearly $15 million to unseat a member of Congress, calling it “corruption” and “a core threat to American democracy.” On June 25, AOC won the Democratic primary for New York’s 14th Congressional District.
Gemini co-founder Tyler Winklevoss, who recently pledged $1 million to support Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, commented on June 25 that “this is what happens when you pick a fight with the crypto army,” likely alluding to Latimer’s primary victory.
In Utah, John Curtis, a Representative for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, also won the June 25 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. Fairshake’s affiliate PAC Defend American Jobs spent more than $3 million on media buys supporting Curtis and approximately $1.2 million to oppose challenger Trent Staggs. While Staggs’ position on crypto is unclear, Rep. Curtis cosponsored the FIT21 Act and the CBDC Anti-Surveillance State Act and voted in favor of the joint resolution to overturn the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121. He also supported the SEC’s efforts to approve spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds and stated that “crypto has become a significant part” of the U.S. economy.
With approximately $169 million in funds from crypto firms, including Coinbase and Ripple, Fairshake’s media campaigns may have already influenced U.S. voters. In March, California Representative Katie Porter lost a primary race for the U.S. Senate after a Fairshake ad claimed she took campaign contributions from “big pharma, big oil, and the big bank executives.” Protect Progress, another Fairshake affiliate, supported Democratic candidates Shomari Figures and Julie Johnson, who won their respective primaries in Alabama and Texas.
Magazine: Crypto voters are already disrupting the 2024 election — and it’s set to continue.