Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
0000017a-3b40-d913-abfe-bf44a4f90000Howard Wilkinson joined the WVXU news team as the politics reporter and columnist in April 2012 , after 30 years of covering local, state and national politics for The Cincinnati Enquirer. On this page, you will find his weekly column, Politically Speaking; the Monday morning political chats with News Director Maryanne Zeleznik and other news coverage by Wilkinson. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Wilkinson has covered every Ohio gubernatorial race since 1974, as well as 16 presidential nominating conventions. Along with politics, Wilkinson also covered the 2001 Cincinnati race riots, the Lucasville prison riot in 1993, the Air Canada plane crash at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 1983, and the 1997 Ohio River flooding. And, given his passion for baseball, you might even find some stories about the Cincinnati Reds here from time to time.

Kasich, on Meet the Press, drops more hints about presidential candidacy

Karen Kasler
/
Ohio Public Radio

After spending time in the key presidential primary state of New Hampshire, Ohio Gov. John Kasich took more questions about his possible presidential campaign on national TV this weekend.

It comes amid increasing signs that he is serious about running.

On NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday - where 16 years ago Kasich announced he’d formed an exploratory committee to run for president in 1999 – Kasich said he still hadn’t decided, but was weighing his options with two main thoughts in mind.

“My family is a consideration, and number two – what’s the most important thing?,” Kasich said. “What does the Lord want me to do with my life?”

One sign that Kasich is seriously considering jumping into the ever-growing field of GOP presidential contenders is that last week he created a tax-exempt non-profit committee called “New Day for America,” which will raise money to pay for his travels and could easily be converted into a presidential exploratory committee.

Kasich did say on Meet the Press Sunday that he has more experience than anybody in the field, and said he’s pleased about fliers that were distributed at a Republican summit in New Hampshire this weekend slamming his support of Medicaid expansion. He says they showed that “someone is taking me seriously.”

Politico.com reported Saturday that at the New Hampshire gathering of GOP activists, Kasich urged them to hold off on declaring support for other candidates until he makes up his mind.

“Think about me, would you,’’ Kasich told the GOP gathering in New Hampshire, according to Politico.com. “Don’t commit too soon. Let us all have a chance to breath and get out.”

Kasich, who was re-elected last fall with nearly 64 percent of the vote, also made the pitch to the New Hampshire Republicans that he could carry Ohio – and no Republican has ever been elected president without carrying the Buckeye State.

Howard Wilkinson is in his 50th year of covering politics on the local, state and national levels.