Brown defeats Husted as Democrats take Congress

Sherrod Brown defeated Republican Jon Husted in Ohio’s Senate race despite Fairshake, a cryptocurrency industry super PAC, spending $46 million on advertisements opposing him. The result came as Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections, shifting the political landscape for digital-asset policy and oversight. The election reversed the outcome of Brown’s 2024 contest, when Fairshake spent $41 million on ads supporting efforts to defeat him. The 2026 spending was part of a broader campaign by crypto interests to influence congressional races. Public Citizen’s analysis of federal campaign-finance disclosures through October 23 put crypto corporations’ contributions to super PACs and hybrid PACs during the election cycle at $233 million. The new majorities will affect committee leadership and the oversight agenda, but assignments have not been finalized. The Senate Banking, Senate Agriculture, House Financial Services and House Agriculture committees have roles in shaping digital-asset policy and overseeing financial regulators. Their chairs can set hearing priorities and question agency officials. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is positioned to...