Republican presidential candidate John Kasich is projected to win the Ohio primary, knocking off rival Donald Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE to secure a critical victory that increases the likelihood of a contested convention.

Kasich's win gives him all 66 of the state's GOP delegates.

Fox News and CNN called the race at about 8:45 p.m. EDT, just over an hour after polls closed.

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The Ohio governor was fighting for his political life. He had said that he would end his campaign if he lost on his home turf Tuesday.

Kasich got a late assist on the trail from 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who campaigned at his side.

And rival Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioFlorida senators pushing to keep Daylight Savings Time during pandemic Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE, who had practically no chance iof taking n Ohio, had told supporters in the state to vote for Kasich to try to keep the state's delegates out of Trump's hands.

Trump's loss makes it tougher for the businessman to clinch the nomination outright before the GOP convention. He gains no delegates from Ohio because of the winner-take-all rules.