John Kasich is staying in the Republican presidential race, his campaign said on Tuesday.
After finishing a distant third in Tuesday's Indiana primary, the Kasich campaign's chief strategist, John Weaver, sent out a memo announcing that the Ohio governor will remain in the race until Trump secures the GOP nomination.
Trump, the GOP frontrunner, secured a massive win in the state. The race was called moments after the polls closed.
"Tonight's results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich's campaign plans," Weaver wrote in the memo. "Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention."
Weaver called out Trump's "disrespectful ramblings" as a reason why Kasich presents a stark contrast to the Manhattan billionaire.
He wrote:
The comments from Trump, on the verge of winning in Indiana, heighten the differences between Governor Kasich and his positive, inclusive approach and the disrespectful ramblings from Donald Trump.
Prior to tonight's primary, the Kasich campaign had already secured a large plurality of Indiana delegates committed to Governor Kasich at a multi-ballot convention as part of the pre-primary delegate selection process.
"Gov. Kasich will remain in the race unless a candidate reaches 1,237 bound delegates before the Convention," he continued.
Read the full memo below:
Tonight’s results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich’s campaign plans. Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention. The comments from Trump, on the verge of winning in Indiana, heighten the differences between Governor Kasich and his positive, inclusive approach and the disrespectful ramblings from Donald Trump.
Prior to tonight’s primary, the Kasich campaign had already secured a large plurality of Indiana delegates committed to Governor Kasich at a multi-ballot convention as part of the pre-primary delegate selection process.
The Indianapolis Star wrote about our success two weeks ago. You can read about it (here).
Gov. Kasich will remain in the race unless a candidate reaches 1,237 bound delegates before the Convention.
Here’s why:
I. Gov. Kasich remains the candidate best positioned to win a contested convention.
• A plurality of Trump delegates will support him after the first ballot.
• He can unite the Party better than anyone else. Trump's cynical sowing of division will render the GOP into angry, irrelevant status for decades.
II. Gov. Kasich is the only Republican who can win in November.
• Delegates want to win in November, and only Gov. Kasich can defeat Hillary Clinton. According to the Real Clear Politics polling average Clinton leads Trump by more than 6 points on average. Meanwhile, Gov. Kasich leads Clinton by over 7 points. A Trump nomination means the end of a Republican Congress and scores of local, legislative and state constitutional offices will be lost for a generation.
III. Gov. Kasich offers Republicans and Americans a refreshing choice of hope, inclusion and conservative reform.
• Nearly 60 percent of GOP voters have voted for a candidate other than Donald Trump. Republican primary voters deserve to have a choice in the remaining contests and we intend to forcefully give them one. Americans overwhelmingly want to vote for Governor Kasich in a general election. A detailed analysis of the Electoral College confirms Governor Kasich is the only one who can win. Both Trump and Cruz would lose to Clinton by considerable margins in a head-to-head race, winning just 210 and 206 Electoral College votes, respectively. By contrast, Kasich comfortably defeats Clinton, racking up 304 Electoral College votes to her 234. Read the full analysis (here).
IV. The future of the Republican Party and America is at stake. Gov. Kasich will not simply give up.
• The Mad Hatter Gibberish pushed by Trump during the primary would weaken America. His proposals would divide us, put American workers in the unemployment line and put our national security at risk. And a Clinton presidency would be at least four more years of international drift, a liberal Supreme Court, and more big government at the expense of job creators, entrepreneurs and families.
V. Gov. Kasich has the experience, vision and leadership abilities needed in our next President.
• A Kasich Presidency means a conservative Supreme Court; the return of money, power and influence to the states; a balanced budget and tax reduction, unleashing job creators; faith that our nation’s challenges can be solved by families and local communities; and a White House that prioritizes doing what’s right over what’s political expedient.
This is the stark choice that confronts Republicans between now and when a nominee is chosen in Cleveland. Gov. Kasich looks forward to continuing to compete with Donald Trump in the upcoming primaries through California on June 7th.
