John Kasich celebrates win in Ohio, promises he won't 'take the low road' to White House

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

published 16 March 2016

Gov. John Kasich's victory speech in his home state, Ohio, started with a protest. He did not yell at or threaten the protesters, making his first contrast with likely Republican nominee Donald Trump. "When you went to college in the 1970s, you appreciate a good peaceful protest every once in a while," he joked. Later in the speech, he made the contrast more specific: Without mentioning Trump by name, Kasich said he wanted to remind people "that I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land." Kasich did mention Marco Rubio, though, asking his supporters to applaud the "great, talented United States senator" who dropped out of the race after losing his own home state, Florida.

Kasich spent most of his speech talking about how he has been overlooked and ignored by the media for most of the campaign — I "labored in obscurity for so long," as he put it — and touting his record in Ohio, where he said he pursued a conservative agenda "and we are leaving no one behind." Despite the fact that this was Kasich's first win and he's trailing Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz pretty badly in delegates, he still predicted that he is "going to go all the way to Cleveland and secure the Republican nomination," presumably in a brokered convention.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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