MILWAUKEE- Backed by former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich kicked off the final weeks of courting Wisconsin voters before the state’s April 5 primary.
In a town hall style forum just outside of Milwaukee, Kasich, who has only won his home state’s primary thus far, touted his ability to win a general election against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
“I think the delegates are going to consider who can actually win when they have to decide at the convention,” Kasich said. “They think about who has the ability to have a vision, a message and a record.”
Mathematically, Kasich cannot amass enough delegates to meet the 1,237 delegate threshold to win the Republican nomination outright, as he only has 143 delegates so far. Business mogul Donald Trump currently leads the now three-man race with 739 delegates, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, stands with 465.
Despite trailing by nearly 600 delegates, the possibility of a contested convention—a case where no candidate wins a majority and the delegates choose a nominee at the convention in July—gives Kasich some hope.
Arguably quote of the day from @JohnKasich: "we ought to uberize government" pic.twitter.com/RL43XDQvlZ
— Negassi Tesfamichael (@_NegassiT) March 23, 2016
For Thompson, this possibility is enough to put support behind Kasich. Both Republicans revamped the welfare benefit system in the 1990s when Kasich was in the House of Representatives.
“John Kasich is the only Republican that can definitely beat Hillary Clinton,” Thompson said. “We need to turn around this country and John Kasich can do it.”
Thompson compared the long shot Kasich campaign to Wisconsin Badgers guard Bronson Koening, whose buzzer-beating three-pointer Sunday sent the men’s basketball team to its fifth Sweet Sixteen appearance in the past six years.
.@TommyForHealth: "John Kasich is a winner like the Wisconsin Badgers." The current Ohio governor has only won his home state so far
— Negassi Tesfamichael (@_NegassiT) March 23, 2016
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott McCallum also attended the town hall to support Kasich.
Current Gov. Scott Walker has yet to make an endorsement of any candidate. He has indicated he leans more toward Cruz and Kasich than Trump according to Kasich, but is not ready to make an endorsement until next week.
“We would love to have his support, but I can’t tell you what his thinking is,” Kasich said of Walker’s potential endorsement. “I wish him all the best because I think he is focusing on the state and I think he has a bright political future, but I can’t tell you what he is going to do. Whatever he does, I’ll respect that.”
In the latest Marquette University Law School poll, Trump led all Republican candidates by 30 percent of GOP voters, while Kasich received 8 percent. However, the poll included 20 percent support for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and 8 percent support for retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Those two candidates have since dropped out of the race, leaving voters scrambling to find a candidate in the coming weeks.
Other candidates and surrogates have planned stops in Wisconsin over the next few weeks. Chelsea Clinton will be in Milwaukee, Madison and Waukesha Thursday on behalf of her mother. Heidi Cruz also planned stops in Waukesha and Sturtevant on behalf of her husband’s campaign.
