Crypto Industry's Hefty Spending Influences Colorado Primary

Manny Rutinel, a Democratic candidate for Colorado's 8th congressional district, has won his party's primary and will move on to the November election. The You Can Push Back Super PAC, backed by $3.5 million from Ripple Labs co-founder Chris Larsen, spent $1 million in media support for Rutinel's run.

The Colorado Democrat has a 'strongly supports crypto' rating from Stand With Crypto based on his answers to questions about stablecoins and market structure. This backing is part of the broader trend of the cryptocurrency industry investing heavily in US politics.

Public Citizen reported that the industry had spent around $189 million so far on contributions for the 2026 US elections, largely through PACs. This spending is expected to continue as crypto-aligned groups aim to elect 'pro-crypto' politicians.