Moving ahead

Kasich 'moving ahead' after brutal losses

By Kyle Cheney

John Kasich once described the Northeast as his “turf,” and then he got blown out by Donald Trump.

But the Ohio governor’s campaign took to Twitter – in lieu of a concession speech – to insist Kasich would continue “moving ahead” with his campaign. What it didn’t say was that “moving ahead” really means skipping next week’s race in Indiana, which he has quit to help Ted Cruz prevail, and instead planting himself on the West Coast for visits to Oregon and California.

“America deserves a president that will make us proud. John Kasich's fight will continue,” Kasich’s team tweeted.

With Trump’s landslide wins in five northeast states on Tuesday, the mogul has earned at least 927 delegates of the 1,237 needed to win the primary. Kasich, on the other hand, will end the night with fewer than 160. He’s been mathematically eliminated from an outright nomination since March 15.

It’s looking like a lost month for Kasich, who has little chance to contest Nebraska and West Virginia’s May 10 contests as well. Oregon votes on May 17 – and Cruz has agreed to cede that state to Kasich – followed by Washington state on May 24. In a final batch of states voting on June 7, Kasich’s best opportunities are to pick off pockets of support in California and New Mexico, where Cruz has also agreed to back off in favor of Kasich.