AI, crypto industries dump millions into Illinois primaries to mixed results

A major crypto PAC suffered a blow after the Illinois Senate Democratic candidate it spent millions opposing won the Tuesday primary and will likely be sworn into office next year.

Fairshake, backed by Coinbase, Ripple Labs and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, spent more than $10 million on ads opposing Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in her Democratic primary race for Senate. Stratton has an "F" rating from Stand With Crypto, and took to social media to denounce the "MAGA-backed crypto bros" who were funding ads opposing her. Stratton is all but guaranteed to become the next Illinois senator in November, as the state leans heavily Democratic.

Another candidate opposed by Fairshake, La Shawn Ford, also won his primary to become the Democratic nominee for Illinois' 7th Congressional District. The district heavily leans Democratic, putting Ford on the glide path to Congress.

But Fairshake also notched a trio of lower-level wins in Illinois. The group backed Democrats Rep. Nikki Budzinski and Melissa Bean, who won their respective primaries in deep-blue congressional districts. Fairshake also weighed in on Illinois's 2nd Congressional District, opposing Robert Peters who lost to Donna Miller.