The already crowded GOP field of presidential candidates just got bigger: Ohio Governor John Kasich officially kicked off his campaign for the Republican party’s nomination on Tuesday.
A campaign video posted online earlier this week to tease his announcement, Kasich acknowledges the unusual number of opponents he’s facing.
“What are we going to do about America? And how did we end up with 20 people running for president?” Kasich asks. “And I think about who has the experience to balance the federal budget, which is very hard to do. Who is it that’s had the experience from turning a major state with big deficits and high unemployment to prosperity? Who is it that has spent time — actual time — working on the national security issues? You know, of all those people running, there’s not one who has the experience in all of those critical three areas.”
Kasich, who held a rally at Ohio State University on Tuesday to formally announce his candidacy, first set his sights on the White House during the 2000 presidential race after serving 18 years in Congress. The two-term governor of a critical swing state is back again, and running on the promise of a “New Day for America.”
Republican opponents include Donald Trump — currently leading the pack in a number of polls — Jeb Bush, Scott Walker and Marco Rubio.
Watch the video below to learn more about the candidate.