Kasich keeps options open for presidential run

By Marc Kovac | April 11, 2015 at 12:02a.m.

COLUMBUS

Laura Turek, 9, looked straight at the TV newsman and didn’t hesitate when asked whether Gov. John Kasich should run for president.

“Yes,” the third-grader from central Ohio responded, with a smile, during a press conference this week at in the governor’s Cabinet Room at the Statehouse, where Kasich had just announced $2 million in additional funding for pediatric pneumonia and asthma research.

Her quick response drew laughter and applause from those on hand, but it didn’t push the governor to reveal any additional details about his thinking on the 2016 race.

The question remains: Will Kasich join the growing GOP presidential field?

“[I’m] keeping all my options open,” he repeated. “We’ll have a little bit more to say about potential next steps when we’re ready to say that. ... Am I ready to make any announcement? No.”

But the governor will be on the road again in coming days, talking economics in Detroit and revisiting New Hampshire and South Carolina. He’s also among the speakers listed for an economic summit in Washington, D.C., later in the month.

“So far, it all feels pretty good,” Kasich said. “I’ve enjoyed being out. ... It’s been good to talk about what we’ve done in this state.”

Kasich said the way Ohio has addressed difficult issues can serve as a model for the country.

“If there’s one thing the country needs, it’s to end all this division,” he said. “When you’re divided as a country, you can’t solve some of your biggest problems, and we all suffer.”

He added, “It’s like many of the programs that we’ve fought for since I’ve been in. What we see is people coming together to solve problems, that they’re not always comfortable. I think that’s a message the country needs to hear.”