Kasich won 56 counties, but lost all of the counties in eastern Ohio and most along the southern border.
Here’s a look back at Gov. Kasich’s run for president in 2016:
July 21, 2015: ‘I have decided to run for president of the United States’
Saying “big ideas change the world,” Kasich declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination and set about trying to distinguish himself in a bustling contest with other high achievers.
Kasich, 63, launched his campaign at Ohio State University before a crowd of 2,000 at an event marking the entry of a strong-willed and sometimes abrasive governor in a nomination race now with 16 notable Republicans.
“I am here to ask you for your prayers, for your support, for your efforts because I have decided to run for president,” Kasich said in a scattered speech packed with family anecdotes, historical references and a pitch for his well-rounded resume.
TIMELINE: A look at John Kasich’s life and career
REACTION: Local Republicans, Democrats react
Feb 1: Kasich near bottom in Iowa Caucus
Kasich put all of his effort into the New Hampshire primary early on, and had a bad night at the Iowa Caucus.
Kasich came in near the bottom of the back getting only 2 percent of the vote. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won Iowa, Trump came in second.
Feb 9, 2016: Kasich comes in 2nd in New Hampshire, Trump wins
Ohio Gov. John Kasich came in 2nd in the New Hampshire GOP primary, scoring a strong finish to keep his campaign going.
Throughout the heated primary campaign, Kasich has prided himself on not attacking his rivals. A more moderate Republican from a politically important state, Kasich told supporters Tuesday night that his second-place finish could be an indication that “we’re turning the page on a dark part of American politics.”
RELATED: Coverage of New Hampshire primary
Feb. 20: Kasich in 5th in South Carolina
Kasich did not do well across the southern states. The first test was South Carolina where he came in fifth, just behind Jeb Bush. Bush dropped out after his poor performance there.
March 1: 0 for 11 on Super Tuesday
With a lot of southern states voting, Kasich had a bad night on Super Tuesday. He didn’t win any states and had his best performance in Vermont, where he got 30 percent of the vote, just three points behind Trump. He was at or near the bottom in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
March 15: Kasich wins Ohio primary
John Kasich pulled off a crucial victory in Ohio, throwing a road block in front of front-runner Donald Trump and giving the Ohio governor a chance to continue in the race for the Republican nomination.
Despite losing to Kasich in Ohio, Trump too had a good night. Not only did he win Florida and secure its 99 winner-take-all delegates, he won at least two other states and knocked U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio from the race.
“We are going to go all the way to Cleveland and secure the Republican nomination,” Kasich told about 1,000 supporters and a bank of worldwide television cameras at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea. He added: “I’m getting ready to rent a covered wagon and have the wind blow us to the Rocky Mountains and over the mountains to California. Here’s what I want you to know. You’ve got one more trip around Ohio this coming fall where we will beat Hillary Clinton and I will become the president of the United States.”
INTERACTIVE MAP: How Kasich won Ohio primary
May 4: Kasich ends his campaign
By the time it was all over, Kasich wone about 14 percent of the vote nationally in the GOP primary, won his home state and pocketed 125 bound delegates for the convention.
Kasich bowed out of the 2016 presidential race and gave Trump an unfettered path to the GOP convention in Cleveland.
July 18: Convention comes to Cleveland, but Kasich not in arena
Ohio Gov. John Kasich has been on the outside looking in this week at the Republican National Convention, skipping the convention floor, refusing to endorse the party’s nominee, Donald Trump, and making guerrilla-like appearances across the state.
But Kasich hasn’t been absent from this convention. He is very much on the minds of many of the delegates here — particularly those from Ohio — and some believe fences will have to be mended between him and Trump if Republicans hope to win the critical state in November.
RELATED: Kasich presence felt even as he skips convention
Oct. 24: Kasich’s high visibility stirs talk of a 2020 run
It’s hard to miss Gov. John Kasich these days.
You can find him campaigning in Washington State for Republican candidates, dedicating a new public policy school at George Mason University in Virginia, or appearing on the CBS Morning News to urge congressional of a contentious Pacific free-trade agreement.
Kasich’s visibility is a clear sign that if Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump loses the election, the Ohio governor will be at the center of what will be an intense quarrel on how the party can recover from its fifth defeat in the past seven presidential elections.
About the Author
