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


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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
AI is creating a luxury housing renaissance in San Francisco
Under the Radar Luxury homes in the city can range from $7 million to above $20 million
-
How carbon credits could help and hurt the climate
The explainer The credits could be allowing polluters to continue polluting
-
5 tips for building a healthy skincare routine for tweens and teens
The Week Recommends Social media is pushing overly elaborate routines for young skin
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders