John Kasich Holds Town Hall In Connecticut As Anti-Trump Ads Heat Up
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Presidential hopeful John Kasich made a campaign stop in Connecticut Friday ahead of the state's primary later this month.
His visit came as ad wars have been heating up among both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, as they all seek to stop Donald Trump.
CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported the New York primary, coming up on Tuesday, April 16, has indicated to Trump that he could have a convention fight on his hands. Thus he has manned up and brought in veteran Republican presidential strategist Paul Manafort to be in charge of convention preparations and organizing delegates.
His job is to keep delegates in the Trump camp if there is a contested convention.
"There comes a time when winning isn't enough. But it's how you win and how much you win. And he recognized this was the time," Manafort told CNN. "He felt I could help him."
Trump's move came as Ohio Gov. John Kasich – running a distant second in New York according to recent polls – was trying to cut into the Trump voter base.
"You have only one choice – one choice that will stop the Clinton political machine – John Kasich," the ad says.
Kasich has been trying to convince New Yorkers that he, and not Trump, has the mojo to stop Democrat Hillary Clinton.
At a rally Friday at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, Kasich also tried to stir up anti-Clinton sentiment by talking about the actions against popular Republican Connecticut U.S. Rep. Chris Shays.
"He was one of the most reasonable people that you could ever find – intellectually honest – and guess what he got for that," Kasich said. "Hillary Clinton came to Connecticut and tried to defeat him."
Meanwhile, state Sen. Tony Wong, chairman of Kasich's Connecticut campaign, said the Ohio governor believes no one presidential candidate can win a majority of the 1,237 delegates.
"As a result, whether it's Trump, Cruz or Kasich we are going to an open convention," Wong told WCBS 880's Fran Schneidau.
Wong concedes a tremendous challenge lies ahead, but he says it's been done before.
"I revert back to 1860 when the challenges and the stage was very similar and an unknown came out and won the nomination and eventually the presidency and that name was Abraham Lincoln," Wong said.
Connecticut's presidential primary will be held on April 26.
Kasich later headed back to New York state and appeared in Syracuse for a town hall at Le Moyne College.
For his part, Trump has canceled a planned trip to California and is instead campaigning in New York.
Republican candidate Ted Cruz will be in Las Vegas this weekend as he addresses the Republican Jewish Coalition. Trump and Kasich declined invitations to attend.
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