John Kasich suspended his political campaign Wednesday, officially making Donald Trump the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
- John Kasich suspending GOP presidential bid Wednesday
- Ted Cruz ended campaign less than 24 hours before
- Solidifies Donald Trump as presumptive Republican nominee
The two-time Ohio governor made the suspension official in Columbus, Ohio.
"I have always said that the Lord has a purpose for me as he has for everyone," Kasich said. "And 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."
Winning just 8 percent of Indiana votes in Tuesday night's Republican primary, Kasich finished a distant third behind Donald Trump (53 percent) and Ted Cruz (37 percent), who dropped out of the race Tuesday night. Kasich had been facing pressure for months to get out of the race but his campaign recently had become an effort to prevent Trump from getting the 1,237 delegates needed to win the party's nomination.
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On Tuesday night, Kasich's campaign manager, Ben Hansen, said in a fundraising email to supporters: "Sen. Ted Cruz just dropped out of the presidential race and it's up to us to stop Trump and unify our party in time to defeat Hillary Clinton."
Kasich's move solidifies Trump's status as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee to take on the Democratic nominee in the general election in November.
Kasich had fundraisers scheduled in the Washington, D.C., area Wednesday but canceled them. He may return on the Republican ticket as a possible vice presidential pick due to his popularity in Ohio, a crucial swing state, CNN reported.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.