- Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse endorses John Deaton against Senator Elizabeth Warren.
- Deaton has strong pro-crypto advocacy; Warren criticizes him on various issues.
- Ripple supports Deaton’s campaign while also backing Kamala Harris’s candidacy.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has thrown his support behind Republican John Deaton in his bid to unseat incumbent Senator Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts.
Garlinghouse publicly endorsed Deaton in an October 22 post on X, saying he “enthusiastically and wholeheartedly” backs Deaton due to his work advocating for XRP holders and the broader crypto industry.
Ripple supports Deaton against Warren
Deaton, a well-known lawyer, has been a vocal supporter of cryptocurrency and is challenging Senator Warren, one of crypto’s most prominent critics.
Garlinghouse’s endorsement came as no surprise to many, given Ripple’s substantial contributions to Deaton’s campaign despite also contributing $11 million in XRP to a political action committee supporting Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Interestingly, despite Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen recently endorsing Kamala Harris, he and the company’s chief legal officer Stuart Alderoty have also donated to Deaton’s Senate run.
Additionally, Ripple is a major donor to the Commonwealth Unity Fund PAC, which has been running media campaigns in support of Deaton and against Senator Warren.
Clash over digital asset policies
Crypto regulation has emerged as a significant issue in the Senate race, with Deaton and Warren clashing over digital asset policies during two recent debates.
Warren has accused Deaton of prioritizing the interests of the crypto industry over other critical issues such as immigration and the economy. She has claimed that Deaton’s campaign is beholden to crypto, saying “100% of his loyalty in Washington will be to crypto.”
Deaton, in turn, has criticized Warren for focusing excessively on regulating digital assets and failing to address other pressing concerns. Warren and Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler have become two of the most outspoken critics of cryptocurrency in US government.
With less than two weeks until the US elections, Warren holds a significant lead in most polls, but Garlinghouse’s endorsement of Deaton highlights the growing importance of crypto policy in political debates.