Highs and lows of John Kasich’s run for president

Ohio Gov. John Kasich ended his campaign for president on Wednesday.

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Here’s a look at some of the highlights and low points of the last nine months:

Highs

1. Clinching Ohio. Ohio was the only state won by the Ohio governor, avoiding a huge embarrassment for him. After Sen. Marco Rubio lost his home state of Florida, he immediately dropped out.

>> Video of Kasich’s victory

>> Story on Kasich’s big win

2. New Hampshire. Kasich came out of the gate strong, surprising some by finishing second to Donald Trump in New Hampshire. Although he did well in several other New England states, he never finished above second, and struggled to remain relevant in the race.

>> Coverage of Kasich’s New Hampshire win

3. The only adult in the room. Although it didn't help him at the ballot box, Kasich burnished his national standing by turning in several solid performances during the debates, earning a reputation as "the only adult in the room," a reference to his ability to stay above the fray when Trump, Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz and others threw mud at one another.

>> Video: Kasich says he’s above the fray

Lows

1. Michigan. Michigan is Ohio's neighboring state and was considered a must-win for Kasich, who needed a base of strength in Midwestern states after getting killed in the South. Kasich rebounded and won his home state the next week, but without Michigan it was easily written off.

>> Coverage of Kasich’s loss in Michigan with video

2. A month of shutouts. After winning all 66 delegates in Ohio on March 15, Kasich went more than a month without winning a single additional delegate. He finally broke through in the April 19 New York primary, but got just four of the 95 delegates at stake.

3. Colbert. Kasich's insistence on staying in the race long after he was mathematically eliminated made him the butt of jokes and a bruising parody Tuesday by the "The Late Show's" Stephen Colbert. Although Kasich continued to pick up endorsements and fared better than his two rivals in head-to-head polling against the Democratic candidates, his candidacy increasingly became an afterthought and, in the end, a subject of ridicule.

>>Video of Colbert’s skit on Kasich

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