Former Pennsylvania governor and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge is supporting Republican presidential candidate John Kasich.
Ridge will also join Kasich’s campaign as a national co-chair. Kasich, who placed second in the New Hampshire primary, is in a distant fourth place nationally, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls.
{mosads}Ridge said in a statement he’s supporting Kasich because he has always respected the Ohio governor and the way he “unites people of different views to enact conservative policies.”
“I want to see proven conservative leadership in our nominee, not just the promise of conservative leadership, and that’s why John Kasich is my candidate,” he said in the statement.
Ridge noted the governor’s success in Ohio and his work as the chief architect of the balanced budget in Washington.
“John Kasich also has both the strong command of national security and foreign policy issues that a president needs as well as the executive experience it takes to actually be Commander-in-Chief,” he said.
“He is ready to be president on Day One.”
Kasich said in a statement he is honored to receive the support of Ridge and described him a leader who knows how to get things done.
“In Congress I knew a principled, resolute leader who understood how to work across the aisle to get things done for the people he served. In the years since he has distinguished himself through noble service to our country at a critical point in our nation’s history,” Kasich said in a statement.
“To receive his stamp of approval is a tremendous honor for me, and I’m grateful for his offer of support and advice moving forward.”