Defend American Jobs

Background

Defend American Jobs is a super PAC and a Republican-affiliated of the Fairshake network of super PACs.  ¹

The Fairshake network’s Democratic-affiliated super PAC is known as Protect Progress.  ¹ The split PACs are reportedly part of a deliberate strategy to cater to Republicans and Democrats as single-issue, pro-cryptocurrency voters without alienating ideological opponents. ³

Fairshake is funded by Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, run by Netscape co-founder Marc Andreesen, along with two crypto companies, Coinbase and Ripple Labs.  ²

2024 Elections

In the 2024 election cycle, Fairshake raised over $260 million and spent almost $196 million. Out of this expenditure, over $59 million was spent through Defend American Jobs on Republican candidates, and over $36 million was spent through Protect Progress on Democratic candidates. ^{3  4  5}

It also got a $50 million donation from the cryptocurrency exchange company Coinbase in the 2024 election. ⁶

Most notably, the Fairshake network spent $40 million to defeat then-U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in his race against Republican Bernie Moreno. The network spent $10 million to back the 2024 Senate campaigns of Democratic U.S. Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). ⁶

Defend American Jobs spent $56.2 million in support of Republican candidates and spent $1.5 million against Republicans.  ⁷

2026 Elections

In January 2026, Fairshake reported it grew its political war chest to more than $190 million. It noted a $25 million donation from the cryptocurrency company Ripple Labs. Further, venture capital firm Andreesen Horowitz donated $24 million.  ⁶

The organization spent $5 million to boost U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) in his U.S. Senate campaign. The organization’s ad highlighted President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rep. Moore.  ¹

Defend American Jobs put $514,000 behind the election of U.S. Rep. James Baird (R-IN). ⁸

In 2026, Defend American Jobs donated more than $500,000 to U.S. Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK) in Alaska’s at-large U.S. House district and similar amounts to the campaign of U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY), and Sydney Gruters, a Republican candidate in Florida’s 16th U.S. Congressional District. ⁹