Steven Kinard, director of Bitcoin mining research at the Texas Blockchain Council, a cryptocurrency advocacy group, has announced that he will run for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives.
In a July 11 announcement, Kinard saying he planned to seek the Republican Party's nomination for Texas House District 70 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where he would serve a two-year term starting in 2025 if elected. The candidate has worked at the Texas Blockchain Council since March 2022 after approximately three years at BOK Financial.
It's official! #HD70 #txlege pic.twitter.com/yNBvEwFbCq
โSteve Kinard (@KinardForTX) July 11, 2023
Kinard said he planned to push for "digital freedom" and advocate for "strategic technology investments" in his campaign. If she wins the Republican primary for the district, she will likely face incumbent Democratic Rep. Mihaela Plesa, who has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2023.
The candidate criticized the Federal Reserve for "recklessly" trying to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC), a statement echoed by some other Republican lawmakers, including Florida Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. According to Kinard's campaign website, he planned to "resist and stop any investigation" into CBDCs.
Related: Texas legislative session ends with crypto bills still in limbo
Texas, as well as the capital city of Austin in particular, has been a major source of cryptocurrency mining activity for the ecosystem, a situation that only improved after the exodus of many miners from China. Although a bill aimed at limiting incentives for cryptominers approved by the Texas State Senate in April, the government has also upvoted of adding cryptocurrency to the state's Bill of Rights, and Governor Greg Abbott has referred to himself as a "cryptocurrency bill supporter."
The primary elections for the 2024 elections in the United States are approaching in the next few months, and cryptocurrencies and the blockchain are a major problem for many voters. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has called cryptocurrency users to "elect pro-crypto candidates" in all 435 US congressional districts as lawmakers introduce proposed legislation to regulate digital assets.
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