WINDHAM, N.H. — Heading into Tuesday’s primary John Kasich’s campaign is hoping to “surprise people” and be a “story” coming out of the Granite State, although declining to specifically frame what victory looks like.
“Everyone would acknowledge if they’re being honest with you that we have the strongest ground game in New Hampshire,”campaign spokesman Chris Schrimpf said at a Monday campaign event. Kasich has invested most of his time and infrastructure in New Hampshire.
Despite the large amount of time the Ohio governor has spent in the state as opposed to other candidates, his campaign is not worried about heading forward to other early primary states. Kasich’s campaign bus is scheduled to leave Monday night for South Carolina.
Schrimpf told The Daily Caller, “We’ll be in South Carolina Tuesday night and hit the ground running Wednesday….We feel good coming strong out of New Hampshire we will do well in South Carolina, better than expected.”
Bette Squeglia, a longtime Ohio Republican who gave Kasich his first job in politics as an intern for the Ohio Senate Republican caucus, said that she was confident that voters will grow tired of negative rhetoric in the GOP race and warm up to his positive and energetic attitude.
Kasich’s Monday early afternoon event at the small Searles Chapel & School was overflowed by the start time of 1 p.m. An attendant commented that he was one of the only candidates he had seen actually start a town hall early.
The Granite State has been experiencing heavy snow Monday and Kasich staffers were overheard in a hotel that once it gets dark they will have to pull back from door-to-door knocking and start phone banking. Schrimpf insisted this would not be the case and that he did not expect the snow to effect turnout Tuesday.
The Ohio governor is currently fourth in the RealClearPolitics average of N.H polls, and seventh in South Carolina.