[The Crypto Industry Has Invested $271 Million in Lobbying to Influence the 2026 U.S. Elections] According to DL News, crypto industry lobbying organizations have cumulatively invested approximately $271 million in an attempt to influence the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, with related political funding activities continuing to expand. It is reported that a recent Senate primary election in Illinois has drawn attention. Juliana Stratton, the state’s lieutenant governor and Democratic Senate candidate, stated that a crypto political action committee (PAC) supported by the 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) faction has spent $7 million on attack ads targeting her campaign. Previously, she had rarely expressed a public stance on the crypto industry. Following this incident, the crypto advocacy organization Stand With Crypto categorized Stratton as 'strongly anti-crypto,' while her opponent, Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, was rated as 'strongly pro-crypto.' Krishnamoorthi has supported crypto-related legislation such as the Genius Act for stablecoins and the Clarity Act for crypto market regulation. The 2026 midterm elections will see all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats up for reelection. Blockchain Association CEO Summer Mersinger stated that the 2024 elections have already demonstrated that the crypto industry has a voter base of tens of millions of digital asset holders and is becoming a significant political force.