Former Rep. John R. Kasich, R-Ohio, was chairman of the House Budget Committee and is the host of Heroes with John Kasich.
Hard-working and aggressive, Kasich has been in politics most of his adult life. The son of a mail carrier who grew up in Pennsylvania, Kasich went to work after college as an administrative aide to Ohio State Senator Donald Lukens, a position he held from 1975 to 1977.
In 1978, at the age of 26, Kasich undertook a campaign of his own and won election as a Democratic state senator. In 1982, he ran for the House as a Republican and won.
In the House, Kasich was appointed to the Budget Committee, where he has built a reputation as an attacker of bloated government and a supporter of strong efforts to reduce the nation's deficit. National Journal once described him as "one of the most innovative and daring budget-meisters in Congress."
As a member of the National Security Committee, Kasich opposed the B-2 bomber, stopped an expansion of the Pentagon building and helped push through military base closings.
Born on May 13, 1952, Kasich is a 1974 graduate of Ohio State University. He resides in Westerville, Ohio.
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