HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — Senator Roger Marshall, the Kansas Republican locked in a tight reelection race, blamed record-high diesel prices Wednesday on the Ukraine war, not the U.S.-Iran hostilities that have sent them soaring.
A gallon of diesel costs, on average, $6.31, a couple dozen cents shy of the historic levels reached last month, according to AAA data. A year ago, as the Ukraine war raged on but before the U.S. began attacking Iran, a gallon was $3.63.
“Let’s think about what the real problem here is,” Marshall said during his debate with Democrat Adam Hamilton. “The real problem with the cost of diesel in particular is, number one, is the Ukraine war. And because of that, diesel production has gone down.”
Russia’s reduced role in the global oil market, brought on by Ukrainian attacks and international sanctions, has raised the costs of diesel and other types of fuel. The Iran war has caused more acute price shocks, however, as the Strait of Hormuz’s critical trade routes stay clogged due to the threat of attacks.
Hamilton seized on Marshall’s comments immediately, contrasting his tone toward Ukraine with the sympathy many Americans feel for the nation.
“The Ukrainians trying to defend themselves are the reason why we have record diesel prices? Nobody believes that,” the Democrat retorted. “This happened in response to the war in Iran that didn’t need to happen, was not a necessary war, and this is why the prices went to record highs. And Roger Marshall supported that.”
The senator’s voted against efforts to stop the war, though he’s called for an end to it. Marshall and other vulnerable Republicans have walked a fine line on U.S. involvement, opposing legislation restricting President Donald Trump’s powers while speaking out against prolonged conflict.
Aligning their rhetoric with their record in the Capitol could cost them Trump’s support, imperiling their reelection campaigns. The president’s faithful voters are a powerful force in elections, helping him elect candidates he favors.
For Republicans like Marshall, who’s stuck in a close race, low conservative turnout could send him packing and give his Democratic opponent a new home in the Capitol.
The Iran war, absent any resolution in the next two weeks, will continue weighing on Marshall’s campaign. Non-MAGA voters have turned away from the GOP as the conflict persists and prices stay high, giving Democrats an opening in ruby red states to flip Republican seats and work toward a Senate majority.
Do you have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.