This is John Kasich's second stop in Connecticut in the last two weeks.
Republican presidential nominee John Kasich made his first official campaign stop in Connecticut on Friday at the Martire Center at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.
Kasich is the first presidential nominee to campaign personally in the Constitution State this election season.
The Ohio governor’s town hall meeting was filled to capacity nearly an hour before the event was even scheduled to begin.
Republican State Senator Tony Hwang hosted the event, serving as Kasich’s Connecticut campaign chairman. Hwang touted the governor’s ability to lead the country, according to a statement released on Kasich’s website in March.
“We need to elect leaders who have made positive differences in governing, not just rhetoric and anger to raise false hopes. Let’s make our state matter in selecting the best choice for president, and I hope you will join me in supporting Kasich for president.”’
This is Kasich’s second stop in Connecticut in the last two weeks after making a surprise visit to a Greenwich fundraiser on March 30. Kasich had previously dropped by Springfield, Massachusetts on February 28, prior to Super Tuesday.
Getting ready for John Kasich at Sacred Heart. pic.twitter.com/sLB3aOv9eO
— Jim Kent (@kent_j23) April 8, 2016
According to The Hartford Courant, Kasich offered an inspirational message to the Fairfield crowd in the firestorm that is the race for the Republican nomination.
"I think what's happened is we've lost confidence in our ability to change the world in which we live,"Kasich said.
Kasich hopes to spoil the efforts of Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz by winning Connecticut, which has a total of 28 delegates up for grabs.
Kasich currently holds a total of 143 delegates with only 882 still available. Meanwhile, Trump and Cruz hold a total of 743 and 517 respectively. A total of 1,237 delegates are needed to secure the Republican nomination.
Kasich’s home state of Ohio is his only victory during the 2016 presidential race, but the Ohio governor is hoping to win the nomination at a contested Republican National Convention on July 18.
Connecticut’s primary is scheduled for April 26.
Daniel Keith is an intern at WNPR.
