Gas-price spike could tilt midterm battlegrounds

Gas prices have surged nationwide since the Iran conflict, with regular gas around $3.91 a gallon and diesel $5.16, and the largest increases concentrated in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The spike complicates Republican messaging as incumbents weigh how to address higher costs, while Trump and the White House call the disruption temporary and tied to a broader energy agenda. Lawmakers from both parties have floated ideas such as year-round E15, boosting domestic production, or temporary gas-tax pauses as elections loom.