A week after voters went to the polls to register their frustration with high fuel and other costs, the national gas price average could drop below $4 a gallon for the first time since April.
The average price of gas in the United States on Monday, Nov. 9, was $4, according to AAA. That's down from an average of $4.16 one week ago on Nov. 2, and it's also down from an average of $4.37 one month ago on Oct. 9.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a Nov. 9 X post that the decline in gas prices is not tied to the election.
"Gas prices dropped in the last week in every state," De Haan wrote. "Not just the states that voted red/blue/purple. same w/diesel."
Voters consistently said in polls leading up to the election that gas
prices were top of mind as they cast their ballots. President Donald Trump went into Election Day with higher gas prices than any of his recent predecessors. He promised in multiple campaign rallies leading up to the election that the prices would drop soon, even as AAA's average national gas price has been above $4 per gallon since April.
The USA TODAY Cars Team looked at why gas prices are falling now, whether they are likely to stay below $4 a gallon, and which states have seen the biggest dips since last week's election.
Why are gas prices falling?
De Haan said in a Nov. 9 blog post that the decline in prices has little to do with the election results, despite the timing of the drop.
“Many will assume the election had something to do with it, but that’s a myth," he wrote. "Gas prices have fallen in the 30 days leading up to the election every year since 2006 except 2010, and it’s typically seasonal: refiners finish maintenance and ramp up output just as demand fades with cooler weather. Those same forces, along with more oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, are why prices could stay below $4 in the weeks ahead."
But De Haan said voters sent a clear message to Washington that they want lower fuel prices. Already, a crop of newly elected Democratic senators are talking about suspending the 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax as a way to bring immediate relief to drivers at the pump.
"That said, the election’s outcome may send a message to Washington to sharpen its focus on affordability, and I’d expect even more attention on bringing prices down," he said. "But for now, it’s the seasonal shift, not politics, driving the relief at the pump.”
Trump and some U.S. lawmakers also floated the idea of suspending the federal gas tax to help drivers feeling the pinch at the pump before the election, making it a potential area of bipartisan agreement starting in January when Democrats take control of Congress.
Which states have seen the biggest gas price drops in the past week?
1. Michigan
Average Nov. 9 gas price: $4.14
Average Nov. 2 gas price: $4.52
Difference: 38 cents
2. Colorado
Average Nov. 9 gas price: $3.87
Average Nov. 2 gas price: $4.19
Difference: 32 cents
3. Ohio
Average Nov. 9 gas price: $3.80
Average Nov. 2 gas price: $4.12
Difference: 32 cents
4. Wisconsin
Average Nov. 9 gas price: $3.92
Average Nov. 2 gas price: $4.22
Difference: 30 cents
5. Montana
Average Nov. 9 gas price: $4.05
Average Nov. 2 gas price: $4.30
Difference: 25 cents
Keith Laing is an automotive reporter on the National Trending Desk at USA TODAY. Contact Keith at klaing@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gas prices could dip below $4 a gallon for the first time since April
