On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, most 2016 hopefuls are on the ground in the Hawkeye State.
But Republican presidential candidate John Kasich is looking toward a different goal: Performing well in the New Hampshire primary eight days later.
“I’ve always been sort of an anti-establishment guy in a way, but been able to work with the establishment to get things done,” Kasich told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront.”
Kasich was speaking from Bow, New Hampshire, after finishing his 86th town hall in the Granite State.
A CNN/WMUR poll released Sunday showed Kasich in fourth place in New Hampshire, picking up 9% support, though still well behind front-runner Donald Trump who earned 30% support.
But though he claimed the anti-establishment mantle, Kasich talked up his time in government — five years as governor, after eighteen years in the House — in a stark contrast to his GOP rivals.
Kasich touted the seven New Hampshire newspaper endorsements he’s received. In addition to The Boston Globe and Iowa’s third largest paper, The Quad-City Times., on Saturday The New York Times backed him.
“We’re getting messages from all over the country, and you know what it says, Erin, is maybe this is a guy who has a certain appeal,” Kasich said.
The Ohio governor said his lower profile but positive approach to campaigning would help him break through.
“My problem, Erin, has been I’m not a celebrity,” Kasich said.