Maryland State Delegate Adrian Boafo won the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District, putting him on track to compete for the seat held by incumbent Rep. Steny Hoyer.
The Associated Press and Decision Desk headquarters called the race Tuesday night after a crowded primary with more than 20 Democratic candidates.
Decision Desk HQ projects Adrian Boafo wins MD US House 5 Democratic primary #DecisionMade: 9:28 p.m. EDT pic.twitter.com/SoSSfa9IOG
– Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 24, 2026
Boafo entered the race with the support of Hoyer, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Senator Angela Alsobrooks. The district is heavily Democratic, giving the winner of the primary a strong path to the November general election.
Protect Progress spending draws attention
Protect Progress, a Fairshake-linked super PAC that supports Democratic candidates, spent heavily supporting Boafo. According to campaign finance coverage citing Federal Election Commission filings, the group spent more than $5.5 million in the race.
“We went big and we went early,” said Geoff Vetter, a Fairshake spokesman. “We did our part to take Adrian Boafo from fifth place to the halls of Congress. He is poised to become the leader of the largest pro-crypto convention in history.”
🚨NEW: Maryland State Delegate @AdrianBoafoMD won the crowded Democratic primary in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District to replace outgoing @RepStenyHoyer.
Boafo was backed to the tune of $5.5 million by Fairshake-affiliated Protect Progress, which just published this…
– Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) June 24, 2026
Outside spending became a central issue in the final weeks of the campaign. Maryland Matters reported that outside groups had spent approximately $8.8 million in support of Boafo as of June 3. These expenditures included funds from Protect Progress and the United Democracy Project, a super PAC linked to AIPAC.
Crypto PACs Expand Primary Push
Boafo’s victory gives crypto-backed groups another win in the 2026 primary season. As previously reported by crypto.news, Fairshake-linked PACs spent more than $8 million ahead of key congressional primaries in Maryland, New York and Utah.
Spending has focused on candidates seen as supportive of digital asset policy. Protect Progress has dedicated much of its funding to Boafo in Maryland and Rep. Ritchie Torres in New York. Defend American Jobs, another Fairshake affiliate, ran in a Republican primary in Utah.
In a recent update, crypto.news covered Fairshake’s broader spending increase as they continued to work around the CLARITY Act. The report states that Boafo has become one of the largest recipients of crypto PAC support during the current election cycle.
Previously, crypto.news reported that Fairshake and allied crypto PACs raised $193 million by the end of 2024. Top donors included Ripple, Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, Gemini, Crypto.com, and Kraken.
The results add to a broader electoral pattern
Boafo’s victory follows other victories by candidates backed by crypto-aligned PACs. As crypto.news reported, Christian Menefee won the Texas Democratic primary runoff after Protect Progress spent about $5 million supporting him and $2.8 million against Rep. Al Green.
Crypto-backed groups also scored a victory in Alabama’s Senate primaries. In a previous article, crypto.news discussed Barry Moore’s Republican runoff victory after Defend American Jobs spent over $12 million on ads to support him.
The Maryland result comes as digital asset legislation remains active in Washington. The GENIUS and CLARITY Acts kept crypto policy tied to spending campaigns, industry lobbying, and primaries.
Boafo will now move on to general elections. His primary victory shows how crypto PACs are using targeted spending to shape congressional races before the next Congress takes office.