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Husted’s price hikes to only get worse, with Amazon announcing 3.5% fuel surcharge fee

COLUMBUS, OHIO — As Jon Husted continues to recklessly back the war in Iran, gas and diesel prices are soaring for Ohio families. Ohioans are already struggling with high food and grocery prices, and the surging energy costs are forcing families to cut back even more.

With the war raging on, Husted’s price hikes will only get worse. Amazon has already announced a 3.5% fuel surcharge due to surging energy costs, while FedEx, JetBlue, United, and UPS have also raised prices. Even the Postal Service has announced its first-ever fuel surcharge of 8%.

Jon Husted has voted three times to support the war, even as the Pentagon reportedly seeks more than $200 billion to continue the conflict. Instead of working to lower costs at home, Husted has insulted struggling Ohioans as “not very experienced at navigating the real world” and dismissed the mounting affordability crisis by telling Ohioans to fix their “work ethic” and to simply “earn more” money to make ends meet.

See for yourself: 

Cleveland 19 News: Ohio gas prices rising as drivers cut back, get creative to stretch dollars

• With gas prices topping four dollars a gallon around the country, Ohio drivers are already cutting back and getting creative to stretch every dollar at the pump. 

• Kelly Thompkins said the rising costs are forcing difficult decisions.

• “We have to debate are we going to have a steak dinner tonight, or are we going to fill up and go to work?” Thompkins said. “And you have to go to work, you know, but these prices are getting ridiculous, because 10 or 20 dollars won’t even get you half a tank.”

• The average price in Ohio is $3.79 a gallon. Diesel drivers are paying even more, with the nationwide diesel average at $5.45.

• Derek Manley and his wife now share their most fuel-efficient car to keep costs down.

• “If she is off I’ll take her car, we try to keep it down to one car, so we’re working it out but it’s still hard with the prices,” Manley said.

News 5 Cleveland: ‘It’s absurd.’ Uber and Lyft drivers get creative amidst surging gas prices

• If you feel like you’re paying more at the pump lately, you’re not alone. According to AAA, gas prices across Ohio are sitting at nearly $4 per gallon for regular unleaded.

• The prices are putting pressure on drivers across Northeast Ohio—especially those who rely on their cars to make a living.

• To stretch their dollars and save on gas, some drivers told News 5’s Mike Holden they are turning their cars off completely while waiting in the queue for rides.

• “I wanna have my heat on in here, but I can’t! You can’t waste the gas, so I’m layered up,” John, a local ride-share driver, said.

• Regardless, he says the state of the economy and rising prices are not helping matters.

• “It’s pretty much killing us. You fill up two or three times a day and it just keeps adding up,” John said.

NBC 4 Columbus: How Columbus is dealing with high gas prices

• As gas prices near $4 per gallon in central Ohio, everyone is figuring out how to fit the extra cost into their budgets, including the City of Columbus.

• The city said the fuel budget for fiscal year 2026 is $5.5 million, with the majority of the budget — $4 million — allocated to the division of police for fuel.

• “I mean, we’re going to have to do everything we can to try to control and contain costs in other places,” Ginther said. “Work smarter, work harder, be more efficient, because fuel prices don’t look like they’re coming down anytime soon.”

News 5 Cleveland: Ohio farmers face steeper prices as diesel and fertilizers soar as a result of the military conflict in Iran

• Farmers around Ohio are half a world away from the military conflict in Iran, but what’s playing out there is having a direct impact on their ability to grow crops here, as they feel the same pain at the pump, if not worse than what drivers are seeing.

• During the spring planting season, Sayre said he’ll burn through about 10,000 gallons. “That 10,000 gallons is an extra $20,000 for us to plant our crops this spring, and we’re a small farm.”

• Diesel is just part of the impact. The other is fertilizer; a lot of the world’s key fertilizer ingredients that end up in Ohio fields originate in the Persian Gulf and flow through the Strait of Hormuz.

• “Fertilizer follows fuel, and it also follows world politics, so when we upset other nations, they get upset, the prices go up,” Sayre said, with some nitrogen products up 40-70%. “So to plant our corn, it’s twice as expensive now to plant corn.”

• Portage County Dairy Farmer Jared Phillip feels it as well, “Between fertilizer and fuel, it’s going to put people in the negative real quick.”

• “We still have the same input costs, and we still have the same feed costs to feed those cattle. Whether the price goes up or down, it is going to be a huge impact with the price of fuel and fertilizer this year.”

• It comes at a time when farmers are struggling to at most to break even on the crops they plant.

• “Nationally, we have 15,000 fewer farms than we did in 2024. When it comes to farm bankruptcies, they increased 46 percent in 2025,” Bales said. “This is just going to be another added difficulty.”

Fox 8 Cleveland: Could gas price increase impact summer travel? AAA weighs in

• Gas prices are soaring. If the price hike persists, it could mean more expensive airline tickets or higher costs for a planned road trip.

• The price at the pump has jumped roughly $1 in the last month, now sitting at or above $4 per gallon on average nationwide — a byproduct of the war in Iran.

• The price of jet fuel is also skyrocketing. Jet fuel has nearly doubled, from $2.50 per gallon to $4.62, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index.

• That could mean more expensive airfare and potentially fewer flights. Airlines like United have already publicly discussed cutting flights during nonpeak times.

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COLUMBUS, OHIO — It has officially been one year since the introduction of reckless tariffs crushing Ohio farmers, small businesses, and families. Instead of standing up for Ohioans, Jon Husted has voted three separate times to block efforts to rein in the tariffs that are driving up costs and closing off markets.

Over the last year, the Husted-backed tariffs have wreaked havoc on Ohio farmers, shutting down key markets and sending input costs soaring. In 2025 alone, Ohio farmers saw a massive 74% loss in sales to China, while farm bankruptcies rose 46% nationwide. But despite the damage, Jon Husted continues to double down, arguing that critics “are wrong” about the tariffs, they “haven’t affected the economy negatively,” and “the policies are working.”

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“One year later, Jon Husted is still backing the reckless tariffs that are driving up costs and crushing Ohio farmers and small businesses. Now, working families and Ohio farmers are grappling with soaring gas and diesel prices, and they know they won’t get any support from Jon Husted, who thinks they don’t know how to navigate the ‘real world.’ Ohioans deserve better.” 

Jon Husted’s tariffs are driving up costs for Ohio families, farmers, and small businesses:

• Jon Husted voted three separate times this year to block efforts reining in the reckless tariffs driving up costs and closing off markets.

• Husted dismissed the pain that Ohioans are feeling due to the tariffs, saying “you don’t hear from the ones that love it.”

• Husted has backed the war in Iran, helping drive gas prices to nearly $4 a gallon and diesel prices even higher, adding more strain on Ohio farmers and families.

• Husted has doubled down on his support for the reckless tariffs that are raising costs, saying that critics “are wrong,” they “haven’t affected the economy negatively,” and “the policies are working.”

• When asked if tariffs will be beneficial for Ohioans, Husted said he was “optimistic [they] will be.”

• The Husted-backed tariffs are crushing Ohio family farms, threatening many with “risk of foreclosure and forced auction.”

• Because of the Husted-backed tariffs sending costs soaring, some small businesses in Northeast Ohio may need to close. 

• Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs said that farmers are taking major losses because of the Husted-backed tariffs — and it is putting them in a “hell of a mess.”

• The Husted-backed tariffs are costing a Grove City manufacturer millions of dollars in business, potentially threatening hundreds of jobs. When the company reached out to Jon Husted, his only response was that he “passed along” the concern to the administration.

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APRIL FOOLS!

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In a stunning update, Jon Husted has announced that he will finally stand with survivors and cut ties with pedophiles, predators, and some of the most disturbing figures in Ohio politics.

Of course, it is April Fools Day, so this is a joke.

In reality, Jon Husted is embracing all of these creeps more than ever, including proudly touting the endorsement of Ohio State Representative Rodney Creech, who has been accused of sexual misconduct involving a minor relative. And Husted has also taken more than $116,000 from Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Les Wexner before voting against releasing the Epstein files. 

Husted is the only Senator up for re-election to take Wexner’s money, and has taken 10 times as much money from the Epstein co-conspirator as any other sitting Senator. Wexner’s name appears in the released Epstein files more than 4,000 times.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“Unfortunately, it’s not a joke that Jon Husted keeps surrounding himself with some of the creepiest and most disturbing figures in Ohio politics, including a Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator and a lawmaker accused of sexual misconduct involving a minor relative. Ohioans deserve answers about why Husted took over $116,000 from an Epstein co-conspirator, voted against releasing the Epstein files, and continues to embrace these deeply disturbing individuals.”

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Husted testified for the defense in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history, was mentioned 386 times during the trial

Ohio families paying $663 more a year on utility bills thanks to Husted’s corruption

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Today, Jon Husted’s close allies responsible for the FirstEnergy bribery scheme, former executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling, escaped accountability with a hung jury — all thanks to Husted’s help.

Husted took the stand as a witness for the defense and spent his testimony trying to protect the corrupt FirstEnergy executives responsible for the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. But scrutiny around Husted’s central involvement in the bribery scandal is far from over as prosecutors are expected to retry the defendants.

Throughout the trial, Husted was mentioned 386 times as testimony made clear that he was at the center of the massive bribery scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities and contributed to electricity costs for Ohioans increasing by $663 a year. When Husted was forced to answer questions under oath, his testimony only raised more questions about his own role in the scandal.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“Jon Husted took the stand in the largest corruption trial in Ohio history for one reason: to defend his corrupt FirstEnergy allies and help them evade justice. Jon Husted sold Ohioans out to protect the masterminds of the bribery scheme. Because of Husted’s corruption, families across Ohio are paying hundreds of dollars more on their utility bills.”

As a reminder, Jon Husted played a central role “running the show” in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history alongside Dowling and Jones:

• New evidence during the trial revealed nine calls between Jon Husted and Mike Dowling in the months preceding a $4.3 million bribe to former Utilities Commission Chair Sam Randazzo. 

• New reporting revealed Jon Husted held secret meetings with Dowling and Jones, including with the “mastermind of Ohio’s largest public corruption scheme two days before scandal-ridden bribery legislation was introduced.”

• Neil Clark, a FirstEnergy lobbyist and co-defendant with former House Speaker Larry Householder, referred to Husted as FirstEnergy’s “golden boy.”

• Text messages between Husted, Dowling, and Jones reveal that the trio were in constant communication “before, during and after his campaign.” 

• Indicted FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones said Husted was a “good friend of FirstEnergy” who was “highly engaged” and “fighting to the end” in support of the massive bail out.

• A dinner between Jon Husted and the indicted FirstEnergy executives at the Athletic Club of Columbus was a focal point of the criminal trial.

• Public records show that FirstEnergy — led by Jones and Dowling — funneled $1 million in dark money to a dark money group backing Husted in 2017, part of the same corrupt scheme that led to federal and state indictments.

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Husted remained at the center of the criminal trial in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history

Ohio families paying$663 more a year on utility bills thanks to Husted

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Today, Ohioans gathered outside the Athletic Club of Columbus for the first stop of Husted’s Real World Tour, calling out Jon Husted for his key role in the FirstEnergy bribery scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities and contributed to electricity costs for Ohioans increasing by $663 a year.

The tour comes after Husted claimed that struggling Ohioans are “not very experienced at navigating the real world.” At a time when Ohio families are struggling with skyrocketing health care, gas, grocery, and utility bills, Husted keeps voting to make everything more expensive. 

A dinner between Jon Husted and the indicted FirstEnergy executives at the Athletic Club was a focal point of the FirstEnergy criminal corruption trial. And when Husted was forced to take the stand in the trial, he deemed the elite social club, which reportedly has a $7,500 initiation fee, “kind of a normal restaurant” — another reminder of how out of touch he is with the real world Ohioans live in.

“Jon Husted has been a long time friend of FirstEnergy and it has cost Ohioans millions. A recent analysis suggests that Ohioans’ electric bills have risen $663 a year since Jon Husted became the Lt. Governor and HB 6 became law,” said Senator Kent Smith, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy Committee. “That should surprise no one because Jon Husted has been working for the utility interests and not protecting the pocketbooks of everyday Ohioans. Ohioans are working harder than ever to make ends meet and they’re being screwed by politicians like Jon Husted who put billionaires and corporations before us.”

“If there’s anyone who is out of touch with the real world, it’s Jon Husted. As a retired nonprofit social services professional for over 40 years here in Ohio, I have witnessed first hand how working Ohioans are finding it harder than ever to make ends meet, especially in recent years. There is nothing more ‘real’ than working hard every day and still having to choose between food and rent,” said Sue Hanson, a retired Ohioan. “And because of Jon Husted’s corruption, our utility bills have skyrocketed. It’s time to hold Husted accountable this November.”

Jon Husted has a long trend of blaming hardworking Ohioans struggling to make ends meet:

• Husted has dismissed concerns from struggling Ohioans, claiming that he has helped lower grocery and gas prices and that affordability problems do not exist.

• Husted revealed he has no solutions to actually lower prices, suggesting that Ohioans should just “earn more” money to make ends meet.

• Husted insulted Ohioans working harder than ever, complaining that their “work ethic is broken.”

• Husted defended his friends and donors, complaining about people saying “rich people [are] selfish” while attempting to justify his record of delivering tax breaks to the rich.

• Husted claimed the affordability crisis only exists in “blue states,” dismissing the pain Ohio families are feeling every day.

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