GasBuddy: Recent Fuel Price Drops Caused by Seasonal Changes, Not Election11/09/2026The relief at the fuel pump has been due to seasonal changes rather than the election. GasBuddy's Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick De Haan explains:“Gasoline prices fell in every state over the last week, while diesel declined in nearly every state, and the national average dropped below $4 per gallon for the first time since early August. Many will assume the election had something to do with it, but that’s a myth. 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. 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. But for now, it’s the seasonal shift, not politics, driving the relief at the pump.” -Patrick De Haan