Kasich suspends campaign, making Trump presumptive GOP nominee
Ohio Gov. John Kasich officially suspended his GOP presidential run on Wednesday, making Donald Trump the presumptive GOP nominee.
Kasich was the only candidate left against Trump after Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas suspended his run following the billionaire's resounding victory in Indiana. Trump swept all 57 of the state's GOP delegates, according to NBC.
In his Wednesday address, Kasich struck a contemplative note, reflecting on his journey through the primary season, and looking toward the future.
"As I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith that the Lord will show me the way forward and fulfill the purpose of my life," Kasich concluded.
Cruz also looked ahead in his final speech as a 2016 presidential candidate.
"From the beginning I've said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory. Tonight, I'm sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed," Cruz told supporters Tuesday night. "The voters chose another path, and so with a heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign."
The Kasich campaign said Tuesday evening that the Indiana results "are not going to alter" the candidate's plan.
"Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention," a campaign statement said.
Cruz and Kasich had led GOP attempts to stop Trump's roll to the nomination. But that "Never Trump" movement appeared to stall on Tuesday night after Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said the real estate magnate would be the "presumptive" nominee.
Trump, meanwhile, told The New York Times on Wednesday that he is forming his vice presidential selection committee to consider a short list — which currently doesn't include Kasich.
The stop Trump plan, according to those behind the Cruz and Kasich campaigns, was to prevent Trump from winning 1,237 delegates before the GOP convention this summer, thereby preventing him from securing a first ballot victory. After that, the Cruz and Kasich campaigns said there would have been a chance for their candidates to win over the delegates and earn the nomination.
Although that path seemed nearly impossible after Trump's Indiana victory, the Kasich campaign still seemed ready for a fight after Cruz suspended his run.
During his run, Kasich was only able to amass 154 delegates, according to NBC News. That put him under Marco Rubio's 172 delegates — and the senator from Florida had dropped out in March.
Despite Republican voters' apparent reluctance to back Kasich — he only won his home state — his campaign had billed him as the party's best bet in the general election.