And then there were 16. The list of 2016 GOP hopefuls gained another name on Tuesday, as Ohio Governor John Kasich announced his candidacy for President. Kasich announced to over 4,000 supporters Tuesday at his Alma Mater, The Ohio State University. Speaking from The Ohio Union student center, Kasich spent most of his hour long speech giving examples of what he would focus on as president of the United States, with policy areas such as defense, health insurance and job growth receiving the most attention. The private event included an interview with Sean Hannity, a political commentator. He has his own radio program and is a television host.
Without a doubt, Kasich enters the race as an underdog. In an unprecedentedly crowded Republican field, Kasich will have to square up against some of the most established names in the GOP. While he may be seen as an outside shot, this has nothing to do with his experience or qualifications. Arguably, John Kasich has just as much or more experience at the federal level than all of his fellow candidates. Kasich served as Chairmen of the House Budget Committee from 1995 through 2001, during which the federal government saw record budget surpluses. From 2001-2008, he worked as a managing director for the investment bank Lehman Brothers. Returning to the political arena in 2010, Kasich overthrew incumbent Ohio Governor Ted Strickland in a tight gubernatorial race. Again in 2014, Kasich sought reelection and defeated his Democrat challenger Ed Fitzgerald in a landslide victory. However, Kasich will have to fight for non-Ohio voter's attention.
With a plethora of experience, Governor Kasich certainly has the criteria met for a potential Republican Nomination in the summer of 2016. A potential dark horse, Kasich has one of the more intriguing presidential stories to emerge from the early hours of the presidential race. Kasich has proven he's a unique candidate due to his viewpoints differing from the traditional Republicans; it isn't a secret that he has irked traditional Republicans in the past with his support of Medicare expansion and Common Core. This could cause him to lose conservative votes. However, this could potentially draw the support of moderates and in many cases, even left-center liberals.
John Kasich should be watched closely as the first republican debate nears, which just happens to be in Cleveland, Ohio on August 6. No Republican has ever won the White House without winning a majority in Ohio, something Governor Kasich already seems to have on his side if we look at his recent victory in 2014.
You can check out what he said about winning re-election here
