John Kasich made a deal to go one-on-one with Donald Trump in Oregon, and he’s wasting no time.
Wednesday morning saw the release of a new TV ad in Oregon, touting that rival “Ted Cruz pulled out of Oregon” and that Kasich “is the only one that can stop Trump and defeat Hillary Clinton in the fall.”
The ad doesn’t describe the agreement reached by the Cruz and Kasich campaigns that had Kasich pulling his resources out of Indiana, with Cruz doing the same in Oregon and New Mexico. The plan allows for each candidate to have a “clear path” to compete against Trump in those states.
Kasich is scheduled for two town halls in Oregon in Medford and Portland Thursday.
Although the Ohio governor did pick up five delegates from Rhode Island Tuesday, strategist John Weaver has indicated that Oregon’s May 17 primary — where 28 delegates are awarded proportionally — is Kasich’s next chance to shift the narrative.
Wednesday morning also saw a plea emailed to Kasich supporters to donate to the “Oregon Ballot Fund,” saying that Oregon voters will begin casting mail-in ballots the following week.
County clerks began mailing ballots to voters Wednesday, the Oregon secretary of state’s office said.
The Kasich campaign already faces one stumbling block in the state, they failed to file a candidate statement for the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet.
Oregon Secretary of State Communications Director Molly Woon told CNN that while Kasich’s name is mentioned in a list of candidates at the beginning of the pamphlet, he does not have a photo, bio or statement like Cruz and Trump, or Democrats Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The pamphlet has now been sent to every household in the state but is separate from the official ballot voters will use on election day, where Kasich’s name is listed as a candidate.
“Gov. Kasich is on the ballot in Oregon, and the campaign will do its part to educate voters about why they should vote for him the primary,” Kasich spokesperson Chris Schrimpf told CNN in a statement. “Gov. Kasich is the only Republican who can unite the party and win in November.”