GOP presidential candidate John Kasich makes Chicago campaign stop
CHICAGO (WLS) -- On Monday, it was Democrat Bernie Sanders. On Tuesday, Republican John Kasich was in Chicago. The Ohio governor's supporters say they believe Kasich can win next year's Illinois presidential primary if his campaign can last that long.
The 63-year-old candidate led with his sense of humor as he campaigned at Portillo's during the lunch hour.
Kasich is a former nine-term Republican congressman currently in his second term as Ohio's governor. He emphasized during our one-on-one interview how much he's accomplished in the last five years leading his state's government.
"We were eight billion in the hole, almost 20-percent of our general revenue fund and we're now running a $2 billion surplus," Kasich said. "We have grown employment by 330,000 private sector jobs. And we've left nobody behind."
Supporters contend Gov. Kasich has the Best illinois organization of any candidate in the republican race.
"I think he's the right fit," says former Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady. "I think he's the guy who can actually win and when he wins he can actually govern effectively just like he's done in Ohio."
"We need somebody with their feet on the ground who is reasonable, pragmatic and gets things done," says DuPage County President Dan Cronin.
Kasich described himself as a "troublemaker" when he served in Congress, who riled establishment Republicans as well as Democrats during fights on the federal budget and defense spending. He's banking that Americans are ready for a pragmatic Midwestern governor to be their president:
"If I can do as well as I've done in Ohio, bring people together in a very big and important state, I can do it in America and I think people will get it," Kasich said.
Governor Kasich has a private fundraiser Tuesday night in Chicago. He hopes to be a factor in the Iowa caucuses but much of his effort is focused on the New Hampshire primary. How well he does there will determine if he makes as far as Illinois in March of 2016.
