Michael Smolens: California gas prices could be big election issue in 2026

Michael Smolens: California gas prices could be big election issue in 2026

The price of gasoline in California is regularly the highest in the nation, as it was last week. That makes pain at the pump a ready-made, high-profile election issue, though sometimes more so than others. The 2026 election may be one of those times. It’s rare that an election hinges solely on the cost of gas, but the issue is more politically potent if it becomes shorthand for a troubled economy. High gas prices tend to put pressure on the incu…