Kasich to launch bid for president July 21

Ohio Gov. John Kasich will formally launch his bid for president July 21 at Ohio State University, sources close to the Republican said Sunday.

Kasich, 63, has been laying groundwork for a national campaign for months, following his landslide re-election victory last November.

His travels, paid for by his allies at the nonprofit political group New Day for America, have taken him to early primary states such as New Hampshire and South Carolina. Last week he made his first foray into Iowa, the first caucus state. And he recently tapped two experienced GOP operatives — strategist John Weaver and ad man Fred Davis — to help chart his course as a White House hopeful.

Kasich’s plans were first reported by Politico. Later Sunday evening, JohnKasich.com, paid for by the newly formed Kasich for America committee, went live with an option to request free tickets for the OSU event.

Doors for the event open at 9:30 a.m. at the campus’ Ohio Union.

Kasich would be a late entry to a historically large Republican field that already includes more than a dozen prominent contenders, among them former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Kasich’s immediate challenge: Qualifying for the first GOP presidential debate, scheduled for Aug. 6 in Cleveland, which also will host next year’s Republican National Convention.

Fox News, which will broadcast the debate, has said it will limit participation to candidates with the 10 best national polling averages. Kasich is averaging between 1 and 2 percent, or 13th place, according to RealClearPolitics.com.

Several candidates saw their poll numbers jump after announcing. The July 21 announcement will give Kasich two weeks to climb into the top 10. Failing to make the cut for a debate in his home state would be seen as a major embarrassment.

Kasich’s politics and profile put him in the GOP’s centrist establishment lane — a lane where Bush, Rubio and, come Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are expected to have early advantages in the race for money and status. But Kasich’s popularity in Ohio, a big electoral battleground, will be a major selling point.

Click here to read more of this story.