Ohio Governor and presidential candidate John Kasich said he would drop out of the 2016 race if he fails to win his home state.
Speaking on Saturday at a Nashville town hall, Kasich said, "I will beat Donald Trump in Ohio and that will be the beginning of a new day. Some of the other candidates, if they can't win their home state, they got to get out. If I don't win my home state, I'll get out. But you know what? I'm going to win Ohio."
Kasich's remarks were reported by the New York Times as the governor worked through Tennessee, one of the states voting on March 1's Super Tuesday, along with 12 others. Republicans have a chance at winning nearly half the delegates needed to get the nomination. Two weeks later on March 15, Ohio will hold its primary.
Kasich has heard increasing calls to bow out. Florida Senator Marco Rubio said Kasich has no realistic way to win the nomination. Kasich has argued he has the best chance to beat front-runner Donald Trump and Democratic leader and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who beat Bernie Sanders in Saturday's South Carolina primary.
On NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Kasich denied being asked to leave the race by 2012 GOP candidate Mitt Romney, and said his strategy is intact.
"Our strategy has always been to do well in New Hampshire, raise enough money to continue," Kasich said. "Trump's going to win everything, in my opinion, on Tuesday. But at some point, this thing goes north. And when it goes north and we get to Ohio, it's going to be a whole new game. I'm getting more pressure from people who are begging me, 'Please don't get out of this race.'"
Kasich trails Trump by five points in Ohio, according to a Quinnipiac Poll cited by the Times. Trump is beating Rubio by 16 points in Florida, Rubio's home state, which holds its primary on March 15.
About the Author
