Rep. John Kasich

Ended exploratory effort on July 14, 1999 and endorsed Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

PROFILE

**John R. Kasich, Republican, of Westerville, Ohio**.
Current	Chairman of the House Budget Committee. Congressman Kasich has represented the 12th district of Ohio, which encompasses a major portion of the city of Columbus, since he was first elected to the House in 1982. He is also a member of the House National Security Committee. Filed papers with the Ohio Secretary of State establishing Kasich 2000, a presidential exploratory committee, on January 13, 1999; announced exploratory effort in Columbus, Ohio on February 15, 1999.
Career	Chairman of Pioneer PAC, founded in December 1996. Elected to the U.S. House in 1982 at age 30, he was the only Republican challenger to unseat an incumbent Democratic congressman that year. Elected to the Ohio Senate in 1978 at age 26. Aide in the Ohio Senate, 1975-78.
Activities	Author of Courage is Contagious (Doubleday, November 1998).
Education	Ohio State University, bachelor's degree in Political Science, 1974.
Family	Married to the former Karen Waldbillig on March 22, 1997. Previous marriage to Mary Lee Griffith.
Religion	Christian.
Age	47 years old. Born May 13, 1952 and grew up in McKees Rocks, PA (near Pittsburgh). Father was a mailman and mother a postal clerk.
Recreation	Rock and roll, lifting weights, playing golf.

Speeches
Ending Exploratory Effort, Washington, DC--July 14, 1999. >

Op-Ed "Saving Social Security: A solution for three generations and beyond"--June 24, 1999. >

Kasich announced his Social Security plan on June 9. The two central elements of the proposal were: (1) link benefit increases to the consumer price index rather than overall wage growth and (2) allow workers under 55 to establish personal savings accounts.

NHRSC's First-in-the-Nation Primary Kick Off Dinner, Manchester, NH--May 2, 1999. >

A seven-minute speech at one of the biggest "cattle show" events.

Annoucement of Exploratory Effort, Columbus, OH--Feb. 15, 1999. >

Address to the Iowa GOP Convention, Cedar Rapids, Iowa--June 13, 1998. >

In this speech, delivered in one of the early "cattle show" events, Congressman Kasich touched on many familiar themes. Drawing on his blue collar roots, he appealed to "those people who no one ever stands up and represents." "We are running America too much from the top down rather than bottom up," he declared. "I would argue that we ought to break the stranglehold of the elitists..."

Readings
Jonathan Chait. "Honest John." The New Republic, July 13, 1998, p. 22-25.>

Tom Dunkel. "A Headbanger Heads for the White House." George, June 1998.

Christopher Evans. "Kasich at the Crossroads." Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine, June 7, 1998.

Andrew Ferguson. "It's His Party: The Rise of John Kasich." The Weekly Standard, June 16, 1997, p. 22-26.

by John Kasich
Courage is Contagious--Doubleday, November 1998.