Ohio Gov. John Kasich pulled the plug on his presidential campaign Wednesday, just a day after Texas Sen.Ted Cruz bailed out on his own bid for the White House.

'I believe we need to live a life bigger than ourselves,' he told a crowd of supporters inside a botanical garden facility near the state capital.

'I have always said that the Lord has a purpose for me as he has for everyone. And as I suspend my campaign today I have renewed faith, deeper faith that the Lord will show me the way forward and fulfill the purpose of my life,' he said.

When his remarks ended, Kasich immediately walked off stage, without posing with family members for the cameras. Nor did he take questions, as Republicans through the country were debating whether or not to rally behind Donald Trump.

Kasich had been scheduled to make a campaign stop to talk with reporters at an airport near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday morning but called it off at the last minute as his plane was ready to take off for a host of fundraisers to try to keep his uphill battle afloat.



Ohio Gov. John Kasich pulled the plug on his presidential campaign Wednesday, just a day after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz bailed out on his own bid for the White House

As reporters gathered at a private air facility in Dulles, Virginia, a volunteer press aide said Kasich's plane was still on the ground in Columbus.

Kasich had the plane taxi back from the runway while he called his closest friends, CNN reported. Kasich said 'My heart is not in this,' and ultimately decided to end his run.

Instead delivered an emotional announcement from his home state of Ohio – where he launched his presidential campaign. He thanked his family, his staff, and volunteers for aiding a campaign that ran on much longer than many predicted – although in the end it may have siphoned votes from more viable candidates.

'I would show up places [on the campaign trail] and there were people I knew and I’m like, why are you here?'' Kasich said, saluting his volunteers.

Kaisch, who has failed to make a significant impact in the primaries, bowed his head as he announced that he was stepping aside - leaving Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee

Kasich had been scheduled to make a campaign stop to talk with reporters at an airport near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday morning but called it off at the last minute as his plane was ready to take off for a host of fundraisers to try to keep his uphill battle afloat

'I believe we need to live a life bigger than ourselves,' he told a crowd of supporters inside a botanical garden facility near the state capitals

The subject Kasich didn't touch was Donald Trump's seizing the nomination after his rout of Kasich and Texas Senator Ted Cruz in Indiana. Trump is already speculated that Kasich will be helpful in delivering his home state in what is certain to be a major battleground of the general election.

The Ohio governor said he enjoyed the snows of New Hampshire and even 'being able to sit in traffic in Los Angeles.' He said he learned during the campaign where the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was. 'Never knew where it was,' he digressed.

'I think John is doing the right thing,' Donald Trump told CNN when informed of Kasich's decision.

'Today's press gaggle in Dulles has been cancelled, his campaign said in the initial statement indicating Kasich's run was almost over.

Kasich had announced he would spend two days in the DC area raising funds for his uphill battle against Donald Trump, who has amassed more than 1,000 delegates and was on track to get a winning majority by taking just 40 percent of the remaining delegates in upcoming states.

Killing time: Kasich bailed on a planned media availability at a private airport facility near Dulles Airport – only to cancel the event after several delays

The announcement came just hours after the Kasich tweeted out a 'Star Wars' themed video calling Kasich 'Our only hope' to defeat Hillary Clinton and the Democrats.

The video looked like the film's famous opening credits, and declared: 'Only one candidate can defeat Hillary Clinton in the fall.'

It seemed designed to bolster Kasich supporters as he argued it was worth keeping up the fight even as Trump's odds of getting enough delegates to win the nomination increased considerably following his Indiana blowout win on Tuesday.

Wretched hive: Kasich bailed out of the contentious primary after outlasting nearly all of his rivals

Kasich had said he intended to campaign all the way to California or until someone reached the requisite number of delegates to win the nomination.

His campaign released a lengthy justification for going forward Tuesday night, even as Cruz told supporters he had no 'viable path' forward and was therefore quitting.

Kasich's campaign has been plagued by a lack of funds and a lack of Republican National Convention delegates.

In a rare pat on the back for donors, Kasich said: 'I want to thank the people who gave the money, the financial resources.'

Donald Trump immediately said he would consider vetting Kasich for vice president

He had pinned his nomination hopes on the prospect of emerging as a consensus candidate following a long contested convention – something that is no longer a possibility with Cruz out of the race and Donald Trump on the cusp of claiming the nomination outright.

Trump unintentionally presaged a Kasich exit on Tuesday night after his strong victory in the Indiana primary, a contest that saw Kasich claim less than 8 per cent of the vote.

Speaking in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City, he said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus 'had 17 egos' to deal with during the hotly contested primary season.

'And now I guess he's down to one.'

Kasich's decision came after Donald Trump had begun training some of his fire on the governor – mocking him for the 'disgusting' way he wolfed down local food on the campaign trail.

Kasich still has a political future. His name still gets mentioned by D.C. insiders as a possible vice presidential pick. He has significant experience in the Congress as former chairman of the House Budget Committee. And his home state is nearly a must-win for any Republican hoping to take the White House.

Asked whether he'd consider naming Kasich as his vice presidential running mate, Trump told CNN Wednesday, 'I'd be very interested in vetting John.'

'I like John, I've had a good relationship with John, I've gotten along with him well,' Trump said.

Then he added, 'I think John will be very helpful with Ohio, even as a governor.'

Kasich told CNN in February: 'I'd be the worst vice president anybody could ever imagine. I'd be worse than [Vice President Joe] Biden, because I'm my own man.'

Still, Kasich went farther than many pundits predicted at the start of the race, playing off a better than expected performance in New Hampshire. But he failed to deliver even in more centrist states in the mid Atlantic in the final weeks of the campaign.

Don't know much: Kasich says he learned the location of Michigan's Upper Peninsula during his campaign

If nothing else, the Ohioan he got a geography lesson.

'I remember we were in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan – never knew where it was. Heard about it all my lifetime. I never knew it was actually located above Wisconsin,' Kasich said Wednesday.