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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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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.
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Ohio drivers, farmers, and businesses face higher transport costs, while Husted must defend a seat that could help decide Senate control.
"Jon Husted can try to rewrite history, but his record is crystal clear: he has voted 13 times to back the endless war in Iran that has sent the cost of everything up for Ohio families," Ohio Democratic Party senior communications adviser Tony Wen told Newsweek in an emailed statement.
"Ohioans are getting crushed by higher gas, grocery, and energy bills, and Husted cannot erase those votes just because they have become politically inconvenient."
Olivia Tripodi, press secretary for Husted’s Senate office, told Newsweek that his position had not changed.
She said he had called since the conflict began for the military operation to be "successful but brief" and had supported efforts to negotiate an end, while opposing a war powers resolution because he believes it could weaken the U.S. negotiating position and endanger American troops and allies."
Tripodi said: "He has also supported the president’s efforts to negotiate a settlement to the war, despite the Iranian side’s refusal to negotiate in good faith and its efforts to extend the conflict."
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Why It Matters
The Iran conflict has disrupted energy markets while voters remain focused on affordability.
Husted is calling for the conflict to end quickly while continuing to oppose Democratic efforts to restrict the administration’s military authority. His office says those positions are consistent with his stance since the war began.
Key Points
- Husted’s midterm election rival, former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, leads every survey included in the current RealClearPolling average.
- Husted was appointed in January 2025 after JD Vance became vice president, creating the November 3 special election.
- Ohio has moved right in presidential elections, but Brown’s statewide history leaves the race competitive.
What Did Jon Husted Say About Iran War?
"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."
Tripodi said Husted had repeatedly urged a "brief and successful" conflict before his comments this week.
In excerpts supplied by his office, he used that phrase in interviews in March, called in May for the war to be brought to a conclusion and later said he would continue urging the administration to end it as soon as possible.
"Senator Husted’s position has not changed," Tripodi said.
Trump and Vance are also expected to campaign for him in Ohio.
The position allows Husted to press publicly for a rapid conclusion while continuing to support Trump’s negotiating approach and opposing the Democratic-led war powers measure.
Which Other Republicans Have Called For The War To End?
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.
What Are Ohio Gas Prices Now?
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.
Ohio Senate Race Polls
- Brown led Husted 45 percent to 42 percent in a Trafalgar Group survey of 1,085 likely voters conducted September 14 to 16. Its margin of error was plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
- A Bowling Green State University/YouGov poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted September 1 to 10, placed Brown ahead 48 percent to 45 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.
- InsiderAdvantage surveyed 1,200 likely voters from September 8 to 9 and found a 47 percent to 42 percent contest. Its margin of error was plus or minus 2.8 points.
- Fox News polled 1,008 registered voters from August 6 to 10. Brown led 53 percent to 45 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points.
What Prediction Markets Show
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’s Rightward Shift
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.
What Happens Next
Husted intends to continue opposing the Democratic-led war powers effort while pressing the administration for a negotiated end to the conflict, according to his office.
Campaign appearances by Trump and JD Vance will place that position under further scrutiny as fuel costs and the war remain issues in the Ohio race.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sam Stevenson, James Debens and Emma Lee-Sang
Newsweek*’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn* here.
Update 9/23/26, 11:13 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Tony Wen.
Update 9/23/26, 12:02 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Husted's campaign.
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