Kasich putting the squeeze on Jeb The Ohio governor is surging in New Hampshire, and the Bush world is showing signs it’s nervous.

There’s a fresh face in New Hampshire and his name is John Kasich.

The Ohio governor is no political newbie, having first made his way into national politics in the early 1980s as a freshman congressman, but he was a late entrant to the 2016 Republican race with limited name recognition and plenty of ground to make up against Jeb Bush, whose establishment lane Kasich has been trying to horn in on.


He’s been storming New Hampshire, on TV and in person, with vigor, hoping for a meeting of the moderate minds and spirits in the state will help him catch fire.

In just a few weeks, things aren’t looking bad — he squeaked into the prime-time debate last Thursday and delivered a solid performance, he scored the clutch endorsement this week of Tom Rath, a prominent New Hampshire GOP operative, and that double-digit gap between Kasich and Bush? Gone, with the two establishment Republicans now in a statistical tie, according to a New Hampshire poll released on Tuesday.

The “why” around the Kasich bid has turned into “wow,” for now. One influential New Hampshire activist, Renee Plummer, told POLITICO that if Kasich were portrayed by Hollywood, he’d be played by Jimmy Stewart or Gary Cooper. “He’s just that kind of guy,” she said.

There are signs of a few knee trembles in the Bush campaign. Not outwardly or obviously, of course. The Bush camp says it’s focused on driving its own agenda and will be spending ample time in New Hampshire along the way.

“Governor Bush’s successful conservative record as governor is unmatched in the presidential field,” said spokeswoman Allie Brandenburger.

One Bush ally, though, threw a subtle elbow Wednesday. Ana Navarro, a longtime Bush friend, tweeted that Kasich’s recent climb to third in a New Hampshire poll — behind Donald Trump and neck-and-neck with Bush — was a sign he was pulling support from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a dig suggesting he’s just cannibalizing another back-of-the-pack contender but one that seemed intended to mask Bush world’s growing concern.

Kasich’s campaign manager, John Weaver, told POLITICO he received two calls from New Hampshire journalists who claimed they had received opposition research from the Bush camp, though Bush aides rejected the suggestion, saying they’re not shopping any anti-Kasich material.

To some New Hampshire Republicans, Kasich represents the antidote to qualms about Bush. It’s no accident that in its first ad last month, Kasich’s super PAC, New Day for America, emphasized his father’s work as a local mailman — a stark contrast to Bush’s silver-spoon upbringing as the son of a president. That 60-second spot, which featured a straight-to-camera testimonial from Kasich, has largely been lauded by New Hampshire political operatives as a smart introduction, displaying the notoriously hotheaded Kasich’s comforting side, but also touting his experience as an influential congressman and governor.

Kasich skeptics say he fits the mold of a Jon Huntsman, who ran as the establishment alternative to Mitt Romney in 2012 only to flame out quickly. His sudden popularity, they say, is simply the result of his super PAC’s well-timed $1.5 million ad campaign. Few other contenders have been on the air so far in the expensive Boston media market that covers most of New Hampshire. And eventually, as New Hampshire primary voters delve into his record, they might turn back to Bush. Kasich still doesn’t sit well with some conservatives for his decision to embrace Obamacare’s expansion of Medicaid — and his defense of it, largely premised on his religious faith, has angered Republicans who have rejected all facets of the president’s health law.

But Kasich’s campaign emphasizes that he’s already earning more support now than Sen. John McCain did at this point in the 2008 campaign, when he went on to win the nomination. They note that he earned the endorsement of former Sen. John Sununu, a prominent New Hampshire Republican and that he’s filling up town halls. He’s beginning to add other early voting states to his itinerary, too. He plans to visit South Carolina Monday and the Iowa State Fair on Tuesday.

“We’ll start building out in other states as decisions get made,” said a campaign aide, adding, “New Hampshire is looking very good.”

Kasich allies see his rise as a sign that the 17-person race for the Republican presidential nomination is finally getting serious.

“We’re beginning to see the real race. You’re beginning to get some separation in the field and you’re beginning to see what it really looks like,” said Rath, whose endorsement was trumpeted Wednesday by the Kasich camp.” What Kasich does here is he speaks to a lot of the language that people in New Hampshire respond well to in terms of inclusiveness and problem solving and being realistic about things and being approachable.”

“Great ads, great debate performance and great endorsements — his rise in NH is definitely real!” emailed Deb Vanderbeek, a veteran New Hampshire Republican operative.

Eli Stokols contributed to this report.