John Kasich picked up an endorsement from Idaho Gov. Butch Otter on Wednesday, giving the Ohio governor a boost in a state with a March 8 Republican presidential primary.
“There’s simply no substitute for executive experience,” Otter said in a statement, commending Kasich’s “message of optimism.”
That endorsement of Kasich’s executive experience is what the Republican governor hopes will lift him past Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the eyes of moderate and establishment GOP voters who are still searching for an alternative to Donald Trump.
Still, even with the endorsements, Kasich faces an uphill climb to the nomination. He finished last of the five remaining candidates with just 3.6% support in Tuesday night’s Nevada caucuses.
Otter said Kasich “has proven himself to be a leader who can effectively balance a budget, open the door to job creation and bring people together to find solutions. His record of results is unmatched by any other candidate, and it is time for Republicans to coalesce around his vision for our nation.”
That endorsement comes after Kasich also gained the support of Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Charlie Dent.
“I believe John is the candidate who is humble enough to listen to the American people, reasonable enough to build consensus with lawmakers while maintaining common-sense principles and strong enough to bring real, effective governance to the White House,” Dent said in a statement.
Earlier in the week, Kasich had picked up another Pennsylvania Republican’s endorsement — former Gov. Tom Ridge.