Former Gov. John Kasich of Ohio is open to the possibility of running with Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper for the presidency in 2020, according to a Friday report from Axios.
Both Kasich and Hickenlooper have a history of speaking at conferences on their views on health care, and they plan to expand their speaking portfolios to include their views on immigration and job creation, two issues that President Donald Trump campaigned on during the course of the 2016 presidential election.
The two are also in talks with several media companies about either a podcast or a cable show that would enable them to “continue to build their brand,” according to the report.
Perhaps the most important aspect is the fact that Kasich publicly urged his colleague to make a trip to New Hampshire, a state that has historically been one of the first stopping off points for a major presidential campaign due to its status as the first primary in the nation.
Kasich famously opposed Trump in the Republican primary for president last year until he dropped out in May. He only won his home state of Ohio during the race. The self-described moderate also opposed the president recently, criticizing Trump’s response to the violence in Charlottesville, Va.
“I’ve repeatedly encouraged POTUS to unite our country. It was disappointing that last night in Phoenix, he once again refused,” Kasich tweeted Wednesday, referring to the president’s rally in Arizona in which he brought up the riots. “After all, what greatness has America ever accomplished by tearing down its own?”
I’ve repeatedly encouraged POTUS to unite our country. It was disappointing that last night in Phoenix, he once again refused. 1/
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) August 23, 2017
What the report doesn’t mention is that Kasich appears to be the more interested in the two. Hickenlooper declared that he wouldn’t even consider running for office in 2020 until his gubernatorial term ends in January 2019. That still gives the duo a possible two years of campaign time, but it’s still a long way off, and a lot can happen in that time.
“The moment I start worrying about what happens in, you know, in 503 days when I finish my term as governor, the moment I put a packet together, get a committee together, then not only am I distracted, but everyone who works with me, my cabinet, everyone gets distracted and then we’re not going to do a good job of getting these last programs done and done right,” he said.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.