Crypto Money Floods Ohio Politics Again: 2024 Playbook Returns for 2026

Crypto PACs are doubling down on Ohio ahead of 2026, deploying serious capital in Senate and gubernatorial races—but potential conflicts of interest are already raising red flags.

The Senate Play: Crypto Backs Husted Over Brown

Sentinel Action Fund, a self-described "only conservative Super PAC advancing pro-crypto candidates," just endorsed Republican Jon Husted for Ohio's US Senate seat. Husted, appointed by Governor Mike DeWine in January 2025 to fill JD Vance's vacancy after the VP election, now faces a crowded GOP primary on May 5 before potentially squaring off against Democrat Sherrod Brown.

The PAC's choice wasn't subtle. Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson directly called out Brown for "standing in the way of pro-innovation policies when it comes to digital assets." That's political code for: we're funding candidates who won't regulate crypto.

Here's the financial muscle behind it: Sentinel Action Fund and its sister organization Right Vote have pledged over $8 million in Ohio spending. The PAC raised roughly $9 million from January 2025 through March 2026, with notable contributors including $750,000 from the Solana Policy Institute and $250,000 from Multicoin Capital. While FEC filings showed zero disbursements for Husted as of Tuesday, expect that number to climb fast.

This playbook is familiar. In 2024, crypto-aligned PACs dropped over $40 million in Ohio to support Republican Bernie Moreno's campaign against Brown—and lost. Brown, who remains vocal about crypto criticism, announced in August that he'd run again despite losing his seat. Moreno still holds his position and won't face reelection until 2030.

The Governor's Dilemma: Ramaswamy's Bitcoin Conflict

But Ohio's 2026 crypto story extends beyond Senate races. Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Trump presidential candidate and Bitcoin treasury advocate, launched his gubernatorial campaign in February 2025 after leaving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He's been pushing Ohio to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve—sounds noble until you check the numbers.

Ramaswamy holds a 10% stake in Strive, a BTC treasury company he backed. Financial disclosures filed April 6 reveal the obvious conflict: if Ohio buys Bitcoin as governor, Strive's holdings—currently valued at over $1 billion (roughly 13,768 BTC)—appreciate significantly. Ramaswamy would directly benefit from the policy decisions he'd control as governor. That's textbook self-dealing wrapped in pro-crypto messaging.