Gas Prices Up 38% Since Iran War Began as Democrats Win Midterms
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Gas prices were high as Americans voted in the midterm elections. The national average stood at $4.14 a gallon on Election Day, up $1.16, or 38%, since the Iran war began in February, according to AAA data cited by ABC News.
Fox News reported that Democrats retook both the House and the Senate on Tuesday, and that many conservative commentators pointed to the war and fuel costs to explain the losses. Others said the causes ran wider.
What did the midterm results show?
According to Fox News, Democrats won easily in red and blue states alike, took control of both chambers of Congress and flipped several governorships. Fox said they also won in states Donald Trump carried in 2024, including Texas, South Carolina and Kansas. Fox described conservative media figures as stunned by the scale of the defeats.
How high were gas prices on Election Day?
The $4.14 national average is the AAA figure ABC News reported. Prices have eased recently: the national average fell 12 cents over the past week. ABC reported that West Texas Intermediate futures, a U.S. oil benchmark, settled at about $96.30 a barrel on Monday, down nearly 8% that day, and were essentially unchanged Tuesday morning.
GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan told ABC that the oil price drop and a seasonal slowdown in travel opened the door to one of the biggest declines since earlier this summer. He also said gas and diesel remain very elevated.
How did prices differ in the Senate battleground states?
ABC News looked at 16 states with Senate races of varying competitiveness, leaving out those rated solidly red or blue. Eleven of them have gas prices below the national average, according to AAA.
- Alaska has the highest average of the group at $4.75 a gallon.
- North Carolina has the lowest at $3.38 a gallon.
- Year over year, North Carolina saw the smallest increase, 23%, while Michigan saw the largest, more than 50%.
- Ten of the 16 states saw increases of at least 40% over the past year.
- In the past week, prices fell 30 cents in Michigan, 29 cents in Ohio and 18 cents in Iowa. Six of the 16 states saw drops of at least 10 cents.
Who blamed gas prices and the war?
Fox News quoted several conservative voices. Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh wrote that Trump launched an unpopular war, that gas prices are too high and that people struggle to afford groceries. Radio host Buck Sexton cited high prices and an unnecessary war that did not go as promised, along with messaging and candidate quality. The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis predicted the biggest national wipeout for Republicans since 2006, which he linked to a poorly planned war in the Middle East.
Not everyone agreed that fuel costs were the main driver. Radio host Erick Erickson said the problems went well beyond the war and gas prices. He listed concerns including tariffs, deportation tactics, redistricting efforts and what he called arrogance. Washington Examiner columnist Guy Benson called it “a catastrophic night for Republicans.”
What did Trump say?
Fox News reported that Trump congratulated Democrats in interviews and said he was willing to work with the party controlling Congress. He also said he was prepared to use the veto. Trump said he believed he had support for the Iran war but that voters would not tolerate the short-term pain of higher gas prices. He said he did not view the results as a personal defeat because he was not on the ballot.
What does this mean for drivers?
Pump prices remain far above where they were before the war began, even after the latest dip. The relief ABC reported rests on lower oil prices and a seasonal drop in driving, and the sources do not say how long either will last. Costs also vary widely by state, from $3.38 in North Carolina to $4.75 in Alaska among the battleground states.
For voters, ABC described affordability as a top concern. Fox's account shows that many on the right tied the election outcome to fuel costs, though commentators disagreed on how much weight they deserved.
