Ohio Gov. John Kasich is the projected second-place finisher in New Hampshire giving the governor a stunning boost in the Republican primary, according to NBC and ABC and placing him atop the unofficial race for the Republican Party’s establishment lane.
Kasich ran a mostly positive campaign and made his name as one of the more moderate voices in the race, rebuffing far-out proposals like one from Donald Trump to deport 11 million immigrants. While many establishment candidates had bet their campaigns on the New Hampshire contest, Kasich’s dominance over Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie gives him a leg up and shows that maybe the beltway class had underestimated that budget hawk governor.
Kasich’s campaign had narrowly focused on New Hampshire, which could make it difficult for him to translate his win into long-term momentum. According to the Washington Post, Kasich has spent just 16 days in South Carolina. Only Christie has spent fewer days there of the remaining Republican presidential candidates.