Dan Sullivan’s support for the price-hiking war in Iran is causing fuel costs to rise again, with a University of Alaska Anchorage economist estimating that gas prices “could rise between 20 and 50 cents per gallon if the disruption continues” and could even “go up higher than that.”

“While Dan Sullivan continues to support this price-hiking war, there has been no relief for Alaskans,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft. “Self-Serving Sullivan doesn’t care if Alaskans are paying more because he’s a multimillionaire who doesn’t have to worry about affording his next tank of gas. While Sullivan enriches himself in the U.S. Senate, we’re paying the price.”

Sullivan has voted for the price-hiking war in Iran ten times (3/4/26, 3/18/26, 3/24/26, 4/15/26, 4/22/26, 5/13/26, 5/19/26, 6/16/26,  06/23/26, 6/24/26,). Despite this, Sullivan has been caught “beg[ging]” for gas money from the very constituents he’s leaving out in the cold, and dismissing Alaskans’ energy costs as mere “externalities” to his campaign.

Your Alaska Link: Strait of Hormuz closure could push Alaska gas prices higher

• The closure of the Strait of Hormuz could soon lead to higher gas prices for Alaskans, according to a University of Alaska Anchorage economist.

• Brett Watson, an associate professor of applied and natural resource economics at UAA, said disruptions to one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes are expected to affect fuel prices.

• “We’re probably gonna see higher gasoline prices at the pump. Those prices are probably gonna go up in the next week or so,” Watson said.

• Watson said the situation also provides a real-world example for students studying economics.

• “When students are able to read headlines and take material that we’re learning in the classroom and start to apply that directly to things they’re seeing on the news, I always think that’s a very fulfilling place to be as an instructor,” he said.

• Watson estimates gas prices could rise between 20 and 50 cents per gallon if the disruption continues.

• “My expectation is they’re probably gonna go up 20 to 50 cents, and if the crisis gets much worse they’ll go up higher than that,” he said.

• Jennifer Tate-Lee, who was filling up her vehicle in Anchorage, said rising fuel prices are already putting pressure on many families.

• “It just gets worse and worse, and you know the incomes are not rising to match all the utilities and groceries and gas that’s going up,” Tate-Lee said.

• Watson said higher energy prices create both challenges and opportunities for Alaska.