Gasoline price jump of 39% rocks US campaign

Gasoline prices have become one of the main campaign tools for Democrats in competitive US districts, according to a report published by Banca y Negocios on October 6, 2026. The party is seeking to win back key seats in Congress by using public discontent over the cost of living to challenge the economic credibility of its opponents.

The Democratic opposition's strategy consists of using higher energy costs offensively. By linking the rise in fuel prices to global geopolitical tensions and to Donald Trump's unfulfilled promises of prosperity, Democratic candidates aim to corner Republicans, forcing them to defend an economic record that is fueling public unease.

According to the Banca y Negocios report, fuel prices in the border state of Arizona have risen 39% compared with a year earlier. This change directly strains household budgets and alters the conditions of the race in districts that have traditionally been contested.

This situation weighs especially heavily on independent workers for delivery platforms, who lack labor protections that would allow them to pass on or cushion the increase in their operating costs. As evidence of this vulnerability, Carmen Ruiz, a local delivery worker, said that higher fuel costs have cut her earnings by as much as 50% in recent months, illustrating how energy volatility falls disproportionately on the weakest links of the informal economy.

Going forward, it remains to be seen whether the Democrats' rhetorical offensive will succeed in consolidating the votes needed to shift the balance of power in the House of Representatives, in an environment where energy prices remain subject to international uncertainty.