John Kasich
Former Governor of Ohio, 2011-2019 & CNN Senior Political Commentator
Two-term former Ohio Governor John R. Kasich is a politician, a New York Times best-selling author, a Senior Political Commentator for CNN, and ultimately an American citizen who believes that unity is the answer to our most common problems.
As Governor, Kasich closed an $8 billion budget shortfall without a tax increase, reduced taxes by $5 billion and outpaced the nation’s job growth with 557,600 new jobs in the Buckeye State. Under his tenure, Ohio budget reserves grew from 89 cents to $2.7 billion. The Governor was a leading voice in promoting bipartisan solutions to health care reform, immigration and international trade. He has been one of the few Republicans to advocate for Medicaid’s expansion.
Kasich has had a storied career in both the public and private sectors. He served as a member of Congress from central Ohio for 18 years. He was elected to the U.S. House at just 30 years old, after having become the youngest state senator in Ohio history. He went on to become the chairman of the House Budget Committee and balanced the Federal Budget four times—a feat not accomplished since. After leaving Congress in 2000, Kasich worked as a managing director in the Investment Banking Division of Lehman Brothers, where he helped companies secure the resources they needed to succeed and create jobs.
He was a FOX television commentator for two shows, Heroes and Heartland with John Kasich, in addition to being a stand in host for both Bill O’Reilly and Chris Matthews. In January of 2019, Kasich made his debut as a Senior Political Commentator for CNN, where he will appear across a variety of programs.
Kasich is the author of four New York Times best-sellers: Courage is Contagious; Stand for Something: The Battle for America’s Soul; Every Other Monday; and most recently Two Paths: America Divided or United, which reflects on 2016 run as Republican Primary Presidential candidate and his hopes for America’s future.
Kasich is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where he also served as a Presidential Fellow. No longer Ohio’s Governor, he continues his roles as husband, father and American Citizen, eager for the next chapter.