Another Republican demands rapid Iran war end as gas prices spiral

Republican Senator Jon Husted has called for a rapid end to the Iran war as Ohio’s average regular gasoline price reaches about $4.48 a gallon.

Fuel costs have become a political liability for Republicans, weeks before a closely fought Senate election.

Husted joins Republican Iowa Senate nominee Ashley Hinson and Republican Michigan nominee Mike Rogers, who have also called for the conflict to end.

Ohio drivers, farmers, and businesses face higher transport costs, while Husted must defend a seat that could help decide Senate control.

Newsweek reached out to Husted's campaign via email for further comment on Wednesday morning and is awaiting a response.

The Iran conflict has disrupted energy markets while voters remain focused on affordability.

Husted is now seeking distance from the war’s economic consequences without embracing a Democratic effort to restrict the administration’s military authority.

"The war needs to come to an end as quickly as possible so that we can lower gas prices," Husted told POLITICO on Tuesday.

Husted also said Iran must reach an agreement with Trump, adding: "I don’t know anybody that doesn’t want the war to come to an end."

Trump and Vance are also expected to campaign for him in Ohio.

Calling for a quick settlement allows Husted to acknowledge pressure at the pump while avoiding a direct legislative confrontation with a president who carried Ohio comfortably in 2024.

Hinson made a similar move in Iowa on Monday, followed hours later by Rogers in Michigan.

Their statements suggest concern is spreading through Republican campaigns in Midwestern states where household and agricultural budgets are closely tied to fuel costs.

Senator Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican facing a competitive reelection race, called Tuesday for a temporary halt to U.S. diesel exports, arguing that it could help lower prices for consumers in a statement linking the proposed moratorium to disruptions caused by the Iran conflict.

He proposed keeping the restriction in place until the Iran conflict ends and energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz resume.

The political risk is especially pronounced in the Midwest, where high fuel costs are squeezing households, freight operators and farmers as the peak harvest season approaches.

Ohio regular gasoline averaged $2.76 a gallon in February, the month the war began.

The monthly average climbed to $3.44 in March and reached $4.63 in May before easing during the summer.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly estimate subsequently rose to $4.48 on September 21, about 62 percent above February’s monthly average.

Husted has proposed temporary state-level relief.

He told POLITICO that suspending Ohio’s gasoline tax for a limited period would be "a reasonable thing" for Governor Mike DeWine to consider.

Prediction markets translate contract prices into traders’ implied expectations.

They respond quickly to news and aggregate financial judgments, but participation may be unrepresentative and prices are not measurements of voter intention.

At the time of writing, Kalshi priced Brown at 60 percent and Husted at 40 percent, with about $4.1 million traded.

Polymarket gave Brown 63 percent and Husted 37 percent.

Ohio supported Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 before backing Trump three times. Trump won by about eight points in 2016 and 2020, then roughly 11 points in 2024.

Republican advances in rural communities and among white working-class voters have outweighed Democratic gains around Columbus and Cincinnati.

Yet Brown won statewide in 2018 and lost his 2024 reelection race by 3.6 points, giving Democrats a plausible route back in a favorable national environment.

Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Democrats need a net gain of four seats, making Ohio one of several contests that could shape control of the chamber.

The Senate’s war powers vote will test how far Husted is prepared to take his criticism.

Campaign appearances by Trump and Vance will then show whether his call for a quick end can coexist with continued reliance on the administration’s political support.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.