John Kasich
John Kasich is a prominent American politician and businessman who served as the governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. Born on May 13, 1952, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, he earned a political science degree from Ohio State University and began his political career as an aide to a state senator. Kasich was elected to the Ohio State Senate in 1978 and subsequently served in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he played significant roles on the House Budget and Armed Services Committees.
As governor, Kasich emphasized conservative values and fiscal responsibility, advocating for tax cuts and job creation while also supporting the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio. His tenure saw a decrease in unemployment rates, although some of his policies, such as anti-union legislation, initially met with resistance. After a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, where he was a notable contender, Kasich transitioned to political commentary, first with CNN and later with MSNBC. He has authored two books and has been recognized for his shifting perspectives on various social issues over the years. Kasich is also known for his family life, having two children with his second wife, Karen.
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John Kasich
- Born: May 13, 1952
- Birthplace: McKees Rocks, PA
Republican John Kasich was elected governor of Ohio in November 2010. Prior to becoming governor, Kasich served as a member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio's Twelfth District. A former state senator, Kasich is also an author and businessman.
John Richard Kasich was born on May 13, 1952, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. In 1974, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Ohio State University. After college, he took a position as an aide to Ohio State Senator Donald "Buz" Lukens. Kasich himself was elected to the Ohio State Senate in 1978. Kasich served as a state senator until 1982 when he was elected to the US House of Representatives.
In Congress, Kasich served on the House Budget Committee. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, he traveled to Bosnia, Russia, and Kuwait. He voted in favor of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and in favor of the national assault weapons ban. Kasich also played an integral role in the passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. In 1998, Kasich published a book entitled Courage Is Contagious: Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things To Change The Face Of America.
In 2000, Kasich chose not to run for reelection to the House of Representatives. Although he formed an exploratory committee to run for president of the United States, he did not initiate a campaign. Instead, Kasich joined the investment bank Lehman Brothers. In 2006, he published his second book, Stand for Something: The Battle for America's Soul. Kasich remained at Lehman Brothers until 2008.
On June 1, 2009, Kasich formally announced his candidacy in the 2010 Ohio gubernatorial race, challenging incumbent Democratic Governor Ted Strickland. Kasich ran a campaign focused on conservative values; he was pro-life, against same-sex marriage, and supported teacher-led prayer in public schools. He also touted his fiscally conservative values as a gubernatorial candidate, opposing federally-funded health care and pledging to lower taxes and create jobs in Ohio.
Kasich narrowly defeated Governor Strickland in the Ohio gubernatorial election held on November 2, 2010, earning 49 percent of the vote to Strickland's 47 percent. He was sworn into office on January 10, 2011. In his first four years, he was initially unpopular due to such policies as the signing of anti-union legislation in 2011. However, the rate of unemployment decreased during his tenure, and his tax cuts and vehement campaign for the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio earned him greater approval. After achieving reelection over Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald in 2014, Kasich, who was noted by commentators as switching gears somewhat from his more conservative, Republican-supported agenda, spent his second term working on such issues as reforming the state's policing standards and advocating for stricter gun control measures. Though he entered the race for president prior to the 2016 election and was the second-to-last contender for the Republican nomination, his campaign was largely unsuccessful, and he dropped out in May 2016. By the time he left office as governor in 2019, he had become known as a critic of President Donald Trump, but he did not make a second attempt to run for president in the 2020 election and instead took on a role as a political commentator for CNN. In 2023, Kasich began working for MSNBC in the same capacity.
Kasich divorced his first wife, Mary Lee Griffith. He and his second wife, Karen, have two children.
Bibliography
Baker, Peter. "John Kasich, a 'Deeply Worried' Republican, Steps Up for Biden." The New York Times, 17 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/us/politics/john-kasich-biden.html. Accessed 7 Oct. 2020.
BeMeller, Haley. “Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich Joins MSNBC as Analyst.” The Columbus Dispatch, 23 Mar. 2023, www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/23/former-ohio-gov-john-kasich-joins-msnbc-as-political-analyst/70041323007/. Accessed 21 Apr. 2023.
"John Kasich Fast Facts." CNN, 4 June 2020, www.cnn.com/2015/08/25/us/john-kasich-fast-facts/index.html. Accessed 7 Oct. 2020.
Kroll, Andy. "The Remarkable Renaissance of John Kasich." Mother Jones, 6 May 2013, www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/05/kasich-ohio-governor-election-2014/. Accessed 7 Oct. 2020.
Pelzer, Jeremy. "Republican Luminary to Party Pariah: John Kasich's Second Term." Cleveland.com, 9 Jan. 2019, www.cleveland.com/politics/2019/01/republican-luminary-to-party-pariah-john-kasichs-second-term.html. Accessed 7 Oct. 2020.