Ohio Gov. John Kasich playfully told a Wisconsin crowd that he would exit the presidential race immediately if former Gov. Tommy Thompson launched his own bid.
Thompson, the leader of Kasich’s campaign in Wisconsin, gave a spirited introduction of Kasich in La Crosse, which prompted high praise from the Ohio governor.
“You see Tommy has a vision, that’s what you have to understand about him. He’s a visionary,” Kasich said. “Frankly, Tommy, do you want me to drop out? If you get in, I’ll drop out and support you for president.”
Kasich’s comments come amid reports that he has pulled ads from the Wisconsin airwaves, which suggest he may be shifting his focus away from the Midwest. A fundraising pitch distributed by Kasich’s campaign on Monday briefly notes the upcoming Wisconsin primary before stating that the race will soon turn to Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.
The Ohio governor has previously sounded forlorn about the 2016 race on the stump and told an audience he is not sure it’s his “purpose” to be president. Kasich has also explicitly ruled out serving as vice president to the Republican presidential candidates.
Kasich trails his GOP competitors, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, by double-digit percentage points in RealClearPolitics’ average of Wisconsin polling.
