Ohio Gov. John Kasich will suspend his campaign for the Republican nomination for president, according to reports Wednesday.
NBC News first reported the news, citing Kasich’s senior campaign adviser. Kasich was frontrunner Donald Trump’s only competitor remaining in the race following Tuesday’s primary results out of Indiana, after which Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) suspended his campaign.
BREAKING: John Kasich to suspend his campaign for president, senior campaign adviser says - @mitchellreportspic.twitter.com/Au1WIMqTIP
— NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) May 4, 2016
Kasich initially had a news conference scheduled for Wednesday morning at Washington-Dulles Airport outside of the nation’s capital ahead of a fundraising trip there, but the event was cancelled. Kasich will instead make a statement at 5 p.m. EST from Columbus, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.
Kasich has remained in the race for months of primary voting despite only winning his home state of Ohio in March.
After Trump was declared the victor in Indiana Tuesday evening, the Kasich campaign released a statement indicating that the results "are not going to alter Gov. Kasich’s campaign plans."
"Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention," Kasich’s chief strategist John Weaver said in the statement. "The comments from Trump, on the verge of winning in Indiana, heighten the differences between Governor Kasich and his positive, inclusive approach and the disrespectful ramblings from Donald Trump."
Trump recorded a significant victory in Indiana, capturing 53 percent of the primary vote, while Cruz and Kasich followed far behind with 37 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
Cruz announced the suspension of his campaign during a news conference in Indianapolis following the results.
"From the beginning, I’ve said that I would continue on as long as there was a viable path to victory," Cruz told the crowd. "Tonight, I’m sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed. Together, we left it all on the field in Indiana."
Should Kasich exit the race, Trump will be left as the presumptive GOP nominee. His exit will follow a statement from the Republican National Committee chairman urging members of the party to unite around Trump.
.@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton
— Reince Priebus (@Reince) May 4, 2016