Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivers his State of the State address at the Peoples Bank Theatre, Wednesday, April 6, in Marietta, Ohio. | AP Photo Kasich team says he can win New York Campaign tells supporters Kasich can win plurality of remaining delegates nationwide.

John Kasich says he can win New York and go on to take a plurality of delegates up for grabs in the remaining two months of primary campaigning, according to two people who attended a briefing from Kasich advisers John Weaver and Charlie Black in Washington.

Donald Trump leads Kasich by 31 points in New York in the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls. But New York allocates most of its 95 delegates by congressional district, with two or three awarded to the leading vote-getter in each of its 27 districts.


“What Weaver told us is that … Kasich may come out on top because it’s done by congressional district, and Kasich is running first or second in 24 or 26 of them, and they can overcome that,” said a Republican operative and Kasich supporter who was present at the meeting on Wednesday.

Kasich spokesman Mike Schrimpf neither confirmed nor denied that account in an email to POLITICO. “We expect to win delegates in New York and are Donald Trump's top competition in many Congressional Districts,” he wrote.

Citing the preponderance of coastal states left on the map and the expectation that Kasich will earn more free media in a three-man race, Weaver told the group of over 100 supporters gathered at the American Trucking Association’s Capitol Hill townhouse that it was possible the Ohio governor could win a “plurality” of delegates left up for grabs.

“There’s that hope,” said the Republican operative who attended. “Pennsylvania he’s doing pretty well in.”

The possibility of Kasich winning more delegates than either Ted Cruz or Trump in remaining contests is a long shot. RealClearPolitics averages of recent polls in both Pennsylvania and California have him in third place and trailing Trump by more than double digits.

The bullish assessment of Kasich’s chances winning the most delegates going forward came as a surprise even to some of the governor’s supporters.

“I was shocked to hear that,” said a Washington lawyer and Kasich supporter who attended the meeting.

Kasich has been campaigning heavily in New York and may hold an “international town hall” featuring questions from callers overseas.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman attended the meeting and offered remarks about his personal relationship with the governor. Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott was also present.

Attendees were told they would be emailed a copy of the PowerPoint deck presented at the meeting and were encouraged to leak it.