John Kasich American politician, businessman, television host and author Date of Birth: 13.05.1952 Country: USA

Biography of John Kasich

John Richard Kasich is an American politician, businessman, television host, and author. He was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, a small industrial town near Pittsburgh, in the state of Pennsylvania. His father was a postal worker with Czechoslovakian roots, and his mother was born in Croatia.

Kasich attended Ohio State University and graduated in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He began his career as a research assistant in the Ohio Legislative Service Commission and later served as a staff assistant to Senator Buz Lukens from 1975 to 1978. In 1978, Kasich was elected to the Ohio State Senate. In 1982, he ran for the United States House of Representatives and won the primary election, defeating Democrat Bob Shamansky. He was re-elected seven times and served in Congress until 2001.

During his time in Congress, Kasich was known as a fiscal conservative and worked on bipartisan initiatives. He collaborated with Republican Ron Dellums on reducing costs for the production of the Northrop B-2 Spirit bomber and worked with Ralph Nader to eliminate corporate tax loopholes. In 1995, when Republicans gained a majority in the US Congress, Kasich became the chairman of the House Budget Committee. He worked tirelessly to balance the federal budget, and by the end of his tenure in 2001, there was a surplus of over $236 billion.

In February 1999, Kasich announced his candidacy for President but dropped out of the race due to a lack of fundraising in July. After leaving Congress, he joined Fox News as a television host, where he hosted the show "Heartland with John Kasich" and occasionally appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor" and "Hannity & Colmes."

In the early 2000s, Kasich expressed his intention to run for Governor of Ohio in the 2010 elections. He became the honorary chairman of the organization "Recharge Ohio" in 2008, which aimed to promote leaders who would steer the development of Ohio in the right direction. On November 2, 2010, Kasich defeated incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland and was sworn in as the 69th Governor of Ohio on January 10, 2011.

During his inauguration, Kasich publicly apologized to a police officer whom he had called an "idiot" three years earlier. The officer had pulled him over for a traffic violation, and Kasich had approached the officer's vehicle too closely. After facing criticism, Kasich realized the need to apologize for his behavior.

As Governor, Kasich focused on various issues, including criminal justice reform. By 2014, Ohio had the lowest recidivism rates in the country, according to Kasich. He also emphasized balancing the state budget and promoting economic growth.

Kasich has been married twice. From 1975 to 1980, he was married to Mary Lee Griffith, and they did not have any children. He is currently married to Karen, and they have twin daughters named Emma and Reese.

In addition to his political career, Kasich is also an author. He has written three books: "Courage is Contagious" (1998), which became a New York Times bestseller, "Stand for Something: The Battle for America's Soul" (2006), and "Every Other Monday," which also made it to the New York Times bestseller list.