Ohio Gov. John Kasich surprised the nation Tuesday when he finished second in New Hampshire's Republican primary.
Locked in a tight race with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Kasich took just over 16 percent of votes, following a strong 35 percent lead by Donald Trump.
Altogether, however, Kasich isn't fairing too well in the polls.
“The light overcame the darkness of negative campaigning, because you made it happen,” Kasich said of the outcome. “We’re going to solve problems in America, not by extreme, not being Republican or Democrat, but by fixing our problems.”
No doubt you've heard his name thrown around, but what's Kasich all about?
For starters, the 63-year-old Republican -- a married father of 16-year-old twins -- is strong in his anti-abortion stance. Against the federal funding of abortion, Kasich describes himself on his website as a “strong, consistent and committed believer in the sanctity of human life.” In 2011, the Ohio governor enacted a law banning late-term abortions, meaning pregnancies over 20 weeks along.
Kasich – whose 2014 re-election bid was endorsed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) -- is also a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, opposing gun control measures and maintaining his stance on the right to bear arms.
Like other Republican presidential candidates, Kasich strongly opposes Obamacare and believes it should be repealed. He says the healthcare act has increased the cost of health insurance and raised taxes in Ohio.
Contrary to the some other GOP contenders, Kasich is content with the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing gay marriage, maintaining that government employees should comply with the relatively new law.
Kasich’s stance on defeating ISIS is that the effort will require boots on the ground, also calling for a better international plan to fight the group – according to his campaign site, his plan includes increasing support to the Kurdish military, well as creating no-fly zones.
Kasich’s congressional career began in 1983, and he became Governor of Ohio in 2010. He was reelected in 2014.
