Kasich turns sights to must-win Ohio to keep campaign alive

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Yet to win a state and far behind in the delegate count, John Kasich turns to Ohio hoping high approval ratings and a robust get-out-the-vote operation will deliver him a victory in his home state next Tuesday.

Kasich's campaign, alongside the state GOP and the outside group backing his candidacy, is running an aggressive ground game aimed at reminding voters why they've twice elected Kasich to the governor's seat.

Polls show Kasich enjoys support from a majority of Ohio residents, and he's made the state's economic turnaround a centerpiece of his presidential campaign.

When speaking to voters, he brags about turning the state's $8 billion deficit into a $2 billion surplus and adding hundreds of thousands of jobs after the recession — two points highlighted in a campaign ad currently running statewide.

The Ohio Legislature's decision to make this year's contest a winner-take-all primary could prove critical to keeping Trump from receiving the necessary 1,237 delegates for the GOP nomination, increasing the chances of a contested convention this summer.

The most recent data from the Ohio secretary of state's office shows roughly 118,000 voters requested Republican absentee ballots.