The Ohio governor John Kasich has said he will sign a state bill currently under debate that would ban abortions carried out because a child has Down’s syndrome.

“I would sign it, yes,” Kasich said in an interview with CNN broadcast on Sunday. “Look, I’m a governor. I’m a CEO. I have to have a hand steady on the wheel.

“But in this case, I’m more than glad to say that of course I would sign that.”

He had not previously commented on the Ohio bill, which its sponsor has said is due for a vote in October.

Kasich is considered one of the more moderate Republicans in the 16-strong 2016 presidential primary field, to the extent that some on the right of the party question his conservative credentials.

He is, however staunchly anti-abortion, being opposed to the procedure except in cases of rape or incest or when it is needed to save the life of a mother.



Kasich’s state has become a battleground over abortion rights and access to abortion clinics, particularly as controversy continues over videos released by an anti-abortion group which alleges Planned Parenthood officials discussed the sale of foetal body parts.

Kasich is running an average ninth in the polls with an average 2.5% support, according to RealClearPolitics.com. In a CNN poll released on Sunday he took 2%, putting him in 10th place. After speaking at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Saturday, he placed third in the Michigan straw poll.

