Michigan, Ohio Gas Prices Jump After Exxon Joliet Refinery Outage

Gas prices in Michigan and Ohio climbed further on Thursday as a key unit outage at ExxonMobil's Joliet, Illinois, refinery continued to squeeze the Midwest market. Michigan prices rose to $4.74 a gallon from $4.59 on Wednesday, while Ohio reached $4.34 from $4.05, according to GasBuddy. The Joliet disruption had already driven sharp increases in both states a day earlier, and the impact is spreading to Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. The surge lands 12 days before midterm elections, with polls showing tight Senate races in both states and pump prices a top voter concern. Democrats must hold Michigan, which President Donald Trump won in 2024, to have any hope of flipping the Senate, while Republicans view Ohio as vital to keeping their majority.