John Kasich has more than $1.4 million at his disposal that he now can use to build political capital and keep his toehold in national politics.

John Kasich has more than $1.4 million at his disposal that he now can use to build political capital and keep his toehold in national politics.

One super-PAC supporting Kasich has $770,000 left in its kitty after the Ohio governor dropped out of the presidential race, and another has about $95,000. Kasich's campaign itself has more than $550,000 with no outstanding debts, campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show.

Since Kasich is no longer a presidential candidate, he now has access to the super-PAC cash as well as the campaign bank account, both of which he presumably could use to pay for such activities as political gatherings he is taking part in during next month's Republican National Convention in Cleveland or planned fund-raising trips for GOP House and Senate members in other states.

Before Kasich dropped out May 4, New Day for America had raised about $106,000 in the month's initial few days. Almost half that total stemmed from a pair of $25,000 checks � from Albert Ratner, a head of Cleveland developer Forest City who already had given $50,000 to Kasich, and Craig J. Duchossois, CEO of the Duchossois Group, a privately held family business in Elmhurst, Illinois, and a member of the Churchhill Downs board of directors.

The other super-PAC, New Day Independent Media Company, did not raise any money last month.

Kasich's regular campaign committee took in about 30 maximum contributions of $2,700 before he dropped out, including donations from billionaire publishing scion Robert Ziff of New York City; billionaire former Univision Chairman Jerry Perenchio of Los Angeles; Stephen Duprey of Concord, a Republican National Committee member from New Hampshire; and both Peter and Virginia Ueberroth of Laguna Beach, California. Mr. Ueberroth was the organizer of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1989.

drowland@dispatch.com

@darreldrowland