Ford pins rising prices, including gas, on Republican policies, while the Nevada GOP blames him.
Fuel prices have risen 39% since the Trump administration entered into conflict with Iran in late February. The Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane, faces turmoil due to the war, as a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through it, according to the New York Times.
Following the conflict, AAA’s daily fuel price report revealed Nevada drivers are now paying some of the highest gas prices in the US. Nevadans are paying more than $5 per gallon—well above the national average of $4.14 per gallon—mirroring the trend across the rest of the western US.
For Donna West, a Las Vegas senior, surging oil prices mean staying at home to avoid spending money.
“I’m not going out nearly as much as I used to,” West told The Nevadan-El Nevadense, outside of a Chevron gas station in central Las Vegas. “I feel like I’m being isolated.”
West was one of several “Ford for Governor” supporters at a press conference Wednesday afternoon focused on rising gas prices, hosted by Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat looking to unseat current Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. Ford pinned high gas prices on Republican policies.
“As of this week, Nevadans’ pain at the pump reached an outrageous new high,” Ford said to supporters and attendees. “This is an unacceptable burden that Trump is forcing Nevadans to bear, with Joe Lombardo’s support.”
However, the Nevada GOP pins rising gas prices on Ford, stating that the culprit is the closure of oil refineries in California, mainly due to wildfires and clean energy initiatives, over which it feels Ford should be more proactive, The Nevada Independent reports.
California supplies about 88% of Nevada’s gas. As the state pushes to cap greenhouse gas emissions, policies Nevada Republicans say drive up fuel prices for several neighboring states, they’ve urged Ford to sue California and its governor, Gavin Newsom, for what they call a threat to the states’ fuel supply, according to News 3 Las Vegas.
“This fuel crisis didn’t happen overnight—it’s the result of bad policy decisions in California led by Gavin Newsom,” Lombardo posted on X.
However, it wasn’t until the start of the war against Iran that diesel prices hit all-time highs, while regular gasoline rose to 2022 pandemic-era levels, according to AAA. Following strikes on Iran, gas prices spiked 35% nationwide in March, according to the Joint Economic Committee’s minority report.
“It now costs $145 to fill up just one tank of gas in an F150, the best-selling car in America—an increase of $37 per tank compared to the cost a month ago,” the report says.
In April, fuel prices rose nearly 40%, according to AAA.
Ford also promoted affordability legislation—Assembly Bill 44—during his address. Put forth during the 2025 Legislature, it would have prevented businesses from price gouging on essential goods in Nevada, including gasoline, which was vetoed by Lombardo.
“Once he got into office, he stopped fighting for us in Nevada,” Ford said. “And started working for Trump full time.”
