U.S. Gas Prices Expected Above $4 Into Midterms

Gas prices remain above $4 per gallon in the run-up to the Nov. 3 midterm elections, despite modest recent declines in some national measures; diesel is above $6. Prices vary regionally, with recent reports putting Florida’s average at $4.09 and Kentucky’s at $4.02 per gallon, while both states remain substantially above year-ago levels. Analysts say refinery disruptions and crude-oil costs are contributing to the pressure, and one forecast sees little near-term relief. The national price burden is unfolding amid conflict involving Iran and concerns about oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz; President Donald Trump has defended higher prices as a cost of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while the impact on the election remains uncertain.