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| John Kasich Is Dropping Out of Presidential Race | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, a moderate voice who tried to portray himself as the adult in the Republican primary field but failed to win any state but his own, is ending his long-shot quest for the presidency on Wednesday, cementing Donald J. Trump’s grip on the presidential nomination. | |
| Mr. Kasich was planning to announce his decision at a 5 p.m. news conference in Columbus, Ohio, according to three people briefed on Mr. Kasich’s decision. | |
| Mr. Kasich’s departure, a day after Donald J. Trump’s victory in the Indiana primary, leaves Mr. Trump as the only candidate remaining in the Republican race. His closest challenger, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, dropped out Tuesday night. | Mr. Kasich’s departure, a day after Donald J. Trump’s victory in the Indiana primary, leaves Mr. Trump as the only candidate remaining in the Republican race. His closest challenger, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, dropped out Tuesday night. |
| A conventional candidate in an unconventional race, Mr. Kasich outlasted the other governors in the Republican field. But his longevity was largely a testament to his unbending refusal to drop out long after it became clear that voters were not flocking to his campaign. | A conventional candidate in an unconventional race, Mr. Kasich outlasted the other governors in the Republican field. But his longevity was largely a testament to his unbending refusal to drop out long after it became clear that voters were not flocking to his campaign. |
| He rarely wavered from his above-the-fray approach to his rivals, even as they racked up far more delegates. When his rivals attacked one another, Mr. Kasich struck a sunny tone and told people that they were made special by the Lord. When his opponents took polarizing and contentious positions, he emphasized his record as governor of Ohio and his long career in Congress. | He rarely wavered from his above-the-fray approach to his rivals, even as they racked up far more delegates. When his rivals attacked one another, Mr. Kasich struck a sunny tone and told people that they were made special by the Lord. When his opponents took polarizing and contentious positions, he emphasized his record as governor of Ohio and his long career in Congress. |
| Mr. Kasich, citing polls, had insisted that he was the only remaining Republican candidate who could win in November. But while he expressed hope that voters in the Northeast would embrace his more moderate views, he was obliterated by Mr. Trump in the five states that held primaries last week, and he never matched Mr. Cruz as the main alternative to Mr. Trump. | |
| In a last-ditch deal with Mr. Cruz, Mr. Kasich agreed not to compete in Indiana, a critical state for those hoping to stop Mr. Trump. Mr. Cruz, in exchange, agreed not to compete in two states with later contests, Oregon and New Mexico. | In a last-ditch deal with Mr. Cruz, Mr. Kasich agreed not to compete in Indiana, a critical state for those hoping to stop Mr. Trump. Mr. Cruz, in exchange, agreed not to compete in two states with later contests, Oregon and New Mexico. |
| Mr. Kasich had hoped that neither opponent would win enough delegates to clinch the nomination before the national convention in July. In that case, many delegates could potentially vote as they wished, regardless of which candidate voters in their home states preferred. Mr. Kasich said he believed his experience and his favorable poll numbers in hypothetical matchups against the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton, would win over those delegates. | |
| But Mr. Trump’s victory in Indiana put him in a commanding position to officially secure the nomination on June 7, when the last Republican contests will be held. | |
| A former chairman of the House Budget Committee and the governor of a large and electorally critical state, Mr. Kasich did not lack in credentials. And his tenure as governor of Ohio, a job he entered on the heels of the recession, offered him an alluring story of economic turnaround. | |
| He also set himself apart from the Republican field through his moderate views — under the Affordable Care Act, he expanded Medicaid in Ohio, and he talked frequently about the need to help people “in the shadows,” like the poor and the mentally ill — and through his positive tone. | |
| He presented himself as the optimistic candidate in a gloomy race, rarely mentioning his opponents and refusing to unleash the kinds of personal attacks that have been a defining characteristic of this year’s campaign. Before the New Hampshire primary, he described himself as “the prince of light and hope.” | |
| Mr. Kasich planted himself in New Hampshire, holding more than 100 town-hall-style events in the state. He was rewarded with a second-place finish, which his campaign hoped would vault him to prominence. | |
| In the months that followed, he continued holding town-hall-style meetings in state after state, taking questions from voters. His events often felt more like group therapy sessions than campaign stops. Audience members opened up to him about deeply personal subjects, and Mr. Kasich dispensed hugs. | |
| After voting in Ohio’s primary on March 15, Mr. Kasich was asked what surprised him most about running for president. The biggest surprise, he said, was finding out “how many people out there are lonely.” | |
| “I’ve come to realize,” he said, “that there are a lot of people who just would like to be made to feel special.” | |
| The Ohio primary was a rare bright spot for him — a victory over Mr. Trump, and one that kept his long-shot bid alive. | |
| But Mr. Kasich’s soothing message never caught on in a campaign that has exposed the anger and frustration coursing through the electorate. He would never again claim victory in a state. | |
| He found himself stuck in fourth place in a three-man race, trailing Senator Marco Rubio of Florida in the delegate count, even though Mr. Rubio had ended his bid in March. | |
| In recent weeks, Mr. Kasich’s great achievement appeared to be showing off his impressive appetite at a variety of restaurants — prompting Mr. Trump to deride his eating habits. | |
| Mr. Kasich’s team had high hopes about the Northeast, believing Mr. Kasich, who grew up near Pittsburgh, would be embraced by moderate voters. But Mr. Trump dominated the five states that voted last week in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. | |
| Mr. Kasich acknowledged last week that he considered dropping out of the race after Mr. Trump routed him in those contests, but decided to press on. He recalled a conversation he had with his wife, Karen. | |
| “She said: ‘The people need a choice. And if you don’t give them a choice, who will?’” he told voters in Oregon on Thursday. | |
| Until the very end, Mr. Kasich stuck to his message, even as it became clear it was not a winning one. | |
| “My job is to provide people with a sense of hopefulness, of unity, of healing,” he said last week. “That’s what I’m going to do. And if that doesn’t take me to a road to victory, so be it.” |