Gov. John Kasich is preparing to deliver his final State of the State address in his adopted hometown of Westerville on Tuesday.
But the speech is expected to cover more than just policy for his last year in office.
Kasich has been laying the groundwork for a few major policy issues to discuss in detail in his speech at Otterbein University. Among those are what he sees as common sense gun regulation, a revamp to the state’s education system and job growth.
But it’s clear Kasich is also thinking about life after office as he’s become a regular on national political TV news shows.
That said, it’s possible Kasich could use this platform to invoke more of a national rhetoric, similar to the tone of his book “Two Paths,” which he released almost a year ago.
Kasich said he wrote the speech at a Columbus pizzeria, and that he’ll deliver something “odd” and “different.” But insiders say that means it will be more introspective, discussing why he’s the made the decisions he’s made.
And it likely won’t be short. Of his seven previous State of the State speeches, only one was less than an hour long.
Kasich won only the Ohio primary during his failed 2016 presidential campaign. He recently said “all options are on the table” when it comes to a possible run for president in 2020.
Politico recently reported that Kasich and his advisors are exploring a potential run for the White House as an independent candidate.
Kasich has gone to great lengths to be a moderate Republican foil to President Trump, who Kasich has criticized on guns and overall “disorder” in the White House.
