Ohio Gov. John Kasich will travel to the first in the South primary state of South Carolina next week to promote his brand of fiscal conservatism, a move likely to stoke speculation the Republican might be considering a possible a presidential bid in 2016.
The news of Kasich’s travel to South Carolina was first reported by The Washington Post.
The visit to South Carolina next Wednesday, and West Virginia the following day, will focus on Kasich’s push for a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget, according to a spokesperson for the governor. Kasich traveled to South Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho last month to also put a spotlight on his balanced budget effort.
While in the state Kasich will hold a reception with GOP and elected officials on Wednesday evening and then speak to the House caucus on Thursday, according to a Republican source familiar with the plans.
Kasich resoundingly won re-election to a second term in 2014, trouncing Democrat Ed FitzGerald by more than 30 points in the all-important battleground Buckeye State.
The Ohioan has made little noise about launching a 2016 campaign, with the South Carolina visit the first by Kasich to an early voting state this year.
In a CNN/ORC poll released last December Kasich received the support of 3 percent of likely GOP voters.