Gas prices, which long have been a presidential campaign issue, are down. Analysts forecast they could continue to go lower — to $3 a gallon or less — through Election Day, unless a sudden hurricane hits or conflict in the Mideast erupts.
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In Michigan, AAA found, the state average dropped 12 cents from a week ago to $3.25 a gallon.
That’s about $48 for a 15-gallon tank.
Throughout Michigan, the most expensive areas on Sunday were: Jackson, $3.37 a gallon; Ann Arbor, $3.34 and Marquette, $3.33; and the least, in Grand Rapids, $3.06; Benton Harbor, $3.10 and Flint, $3.18.
Nationally, gas was selling, on average, for $3.27 a gallon.
The lower gasoline prices, driven partly by lower oil prices and a seasonal switch to a winter blend, already average less than $3 a gallon in at least 10 states. They also could benefit Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who was getting blamed when they were higher earlier this summer.
More recently, John James, a Republican seeking reelection in Michigan's 10th Congressional District in Macomb County, has been airing TV ads that criticizes Harris. In it, James claims, the vice president's environmental agenda "bans gas cars" and would damage Michigan's auto industry and threaten jobs.
And yet, for the sixth straight week, the nation’s average price of gasoline has declined, according to GasBuddy, which tracks gas sales. The national average price of diesel also fell in the last week, GasBuddy said, and now stands at $3.62 per gallon — the lowest since early 2022.
"We fully expect gas prices will continue to drop as Americans drive less with the onset of fall," Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said Monday. "With oil prices falling below $70 per barrel, their lowest since 2021, there’s solid room for gas prices and diesel to continue falling for some time."
More: Will Michigan gas dip below $3 a gallon? Prices drop amid lower demand, falling oil costs
Gas prices, as an economic concern that voters see as unfavorable, have long played a role in elections, with voters finding them a source of frustration and the presidential challenger complaining about them as a source of criticism.
Donald Trump promised last week, that if elected, prices would go to $2 a gallon or less.
However, some analysts pointed out that Trump's proposed tariff policies could raise gas prices, particularly in the Midwest, which gets oil from Canada that is refined into gasoline but could cost consumers more if it were taxed more.
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But do presidents control gas prices? Indirectly.
A decade ago, the Pew Research Center wrote about the connection between the incumbent administration and gas prices, "Can a president control gas prices? Depends on when you ask," and mostly examined presidential poll results.
The report quoted political scientist Larry Sabato, who summed up his research on the topic this way: Incumbent presidents — or, in this case, it would be a vice president running for president — tend to be punished for high prices but get no credit while in office when gas prices are low.
More recently, in 2022, the Michigan Journal of Economics looked at how gas prices were connected to elections. Mostly, the study found it was one of several economic factors, but an obvious one that was easy for voters to understand.
As the average price edged up this summer to closer to $4 a gallon, Republicans complained that President Joe Biden was to blame, and now, with a different candidate — and different prices — Trump is suggesting gas prices, if he were in charge, would be even lower.
Although, last week, De Haan declared: "Motorists rejoice!" as the national average price of gasoline slumped for the fifth week, and national news reports suggested that the already lower prices, especially if they continue, could, among voters, help Harris.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's gas prices playing a role in presidential politics
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