Kasich to make campaign swing through Grand Strand area

Ohio Gov. John Kasich will participate in several presidential candidate town hall meetings Feb. 11 along the Grand Strand to advance his South Carolina campaign for the Republican Party’s nomination.

Kasich’s first stop will be at 9 a.m. in Pawleys Island at Applewood House of Pancakes, followed by a noon luncheon at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in North Myrtle Beach, and a 5 p.m. appearance in Florence at the Francis Marion University Thomasson Auditorium in the Lee Nursing Building.

Space is limited to 125 people at the North Myrtle Beach event, so reservations are required by registering at eventbrite.com.

This will be Kasich’s third visit to the Myrtle Beach area to campaign for South Carolina’s primary on Feb. 20, although his polling average statewide remains at two percent, according to Real Clear Politics.

However, the timing of Kasich’s South Carolina visit appears to reflect his campaign strategy to boost his poll numbers and climb his way to the top of the GOP field.

Kasich skipped numerous Iowa town hall meetings to focus his campaign on the New Hampshire primary, which resulted in the former congressman running in eighth place in the Midwestern caucus Monday with less than 2 percent of the vote.

Yet Kasich is now in fourth place to take the New Hampshire election on Feb. 11, behind frontrunner Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Kasich appears to be repeating that pattern by making a South Carolina swing just two days before the New Hampshire primary.

In another case of unusual timing, Colorado’s U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, noted Broncos fan, is campaigning for Rubio in South Carolina just two days before the Super Bowl in which his team faces off against the Carolina Panthers.

Gardner will greet supporters at 8:15 a.m. Friday at Rubio’s campaign headquarters at 950 48th Avenue North, Suite 102, in Myrtle Beach.

Hudson can be reached at 843-444-1765; @AudreyHudson

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Kasich to make campaign swing through Grand Strand area."