Record Gas Prices Shape 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections

Average regular gas prices reached $4.13 per gallon on November 3, the most expensive price ever recorded for an election day in the United States. This surge is part of a broader energy crisis where regular fuel is 40% higher and diesel is 71% higher than a year ago, driven by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz following the start of the Iran War in February.

Donald Trump has defended these economic costs as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while asserting that the U.S. economy remains strong. However, Democrats are leveraging this economic discontent, alongside housing inflation and the impact of presidential tariffs, to seek majorities in the House and Senate.

Internal Republican friction has emerged over the issue. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis argued that the party must acknowledge the economic pinch voters are feeling, while Democratic figures have claimed that working families are being forced into debt while the president focuses on vanity projects. Tensions remain high as the U.S. military conducted a limited strike on Iran's Qeshm Island on November 2, just one day before the election.