WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Kasich, 63, will be one of the most closely watched candidates in the US presidential race, Politico said on Sunday, predicting that the Republican "will aim to appear less scripted and guarded than the leading candidates."
Kasich, who has Czech roots on his father’s side and Croatian ancestry on the mother’s side, has been Ohio’s Governor since 2011, having won a re-election in 2014. He served as a member of the US House of Representatives between 1983 and 2001.
He ran for president in the 2000 election, but dropped out early after poor fundraising and endorsed then Texas Governor George W. Bush.
The upcoming US presidential election is scheduled for November 8, 2016.
Current Republican presidential hopefuls include former Florida governor Jeb Bush, US Senators Rand Paul (representing Kentucky) and Ted Cruz (Texas), as well as former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
The Democrats who have joined the race include Hillary Clinton, Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley.