Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of the more outspoken cryptocurrency advocates in the United States Congress, has endorsed Republican Ian Cain for a Massachusetts Senate seat.
In a July 8 announcement, Cain’s campaign said Senator Lummis was backing the Republican candidate, citing his understanding of the “digital economy” and his embrace of innovation. The endorsement could give Cain an edge in a primary between his opponents, including engineer Robert Antonellis and crypto-focused lawyer John Deaton.
“From the border to blockchain, Ian Cain understands the issues facing his community and he will fight hard everyday for the Commonwealth,” said Senator Lummis.
The Wyoming senator’s endorsement came 57 days before the Massachusetts Republican primary and 120 days until the general election in the United States. Republicans are looking to unseat incumbent Elizabeth Warren, who has served as the state’s Democratic senator since 2013. Senator Warren is also one of Congress’s more vocal anti-crypto voices, connecting cryptocurrencies to financing illicit activities.
Deaton is a lawyer who has filed amicus briefs in many high-profile crypto court cases, advocating for the technology against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and criticizing Senator Warren for her anti-crypto viewpoints. His campaign outraised Senator Warren’s in the first quarter of 2024, receiving funds from crypto-focused backers, including C-level executives at Gemini, Ripple and Kraken.
Related: John Deaton files amicus brief in support of Coinbase appeal against SEC
Cain, co-founder of the firm Qubic Labs, launched his campaign in April. Data from the Federal Election Commission on fundraising for the Republican candidate was unavailable at the time of publication, likely because his campaign was launched after first-quarter 2024 filings. The Republican candidate has made many statements on his personal X account suggesting that he supports crypto and blockchain technology, including supporting the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century (FIT21) Act.
As of May 30, YouGov polls suggested that Senator Warren had a more than 20-point lead over Deaton and Cain. Cointelegraph reached out to Deaton and Senator Lummis for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Crypto and blockchain have already become campaign issues for many candidates running for office in 2024, including former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Republican candidate has advocated for Bitcoin (BTC) mining in the United States and said his campaign would accept crypto contributions. The move has reportedly prompted President Joe Biden to consider making digital assets more of a campaign issue with the election looming.
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