‘Is this the new normal?’
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Oil prices are over $100 a barrel and near historical highs, while gas prices are as high as they’ve been since the early part of the Russia-Ukraine war.
That’s the bad news. And it could get worse, says Florida’s leading Republican.
If petroleum pressures aren’t alleviated, Gov. Ron DeSantis says there could be a “political impact.”
“I think that there’s the thing that I’ve noticed that people are more sensitive about than anything else is gas prices,” DeSantis said in Tampa.
On Monday, the Sunshine State average price for a gallon of regular gas was $3.95 — a penny more than one week ago, $1.06 more per gallon than last month and 84 cents more than a year ago. National averages have climbed to about $4 per gallon, up roughly $1 in March alone, with further volatility expected if the conflict continues.
“I do think it’s something from a consumer perspective that is very noticeable and very meaningful for a lot of people,” DeSantis added.
“I think at the end of the day, it’s going to be, is this the new normal or is there just a correction back to norm? Because they were very low for most of 2025 relative to what we had in ’21, ’22 and ’23. And if that’s the case, then I think people will pocket those savings. If it’s not, then I think you’re going to see that have a political impact.”
Though DeSantis acknowledges the political peril created by fast-rising costs to fill up tanks, he has already expressed doubt that a gas tax holiday would help consumers, even as Georgia has just enacted one.
For Floridians, the price of gas is up to President Donald Trump to resolve.
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Florida Politics’ staff contributed to this report.
The post Ron DeSantis predicts ‘political impact’ from pain at the pump appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
