DERRY, N.H. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate John Kasich defended millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally as “people who are contributing significantly” to the nation, taking on a divisive issue Wednesday as he promised to redefine conservatism during his latest New Hampshire appearance.
Kasich, a second-term Ohio governor, addressed immigration among other delicate political issues before a crowd of more than 200 packed into a small VFW hall, his second public stop in a two-day swing through the first-in-the-nation primary state. Kasich remains one of the lesser-known 17 Republican White House hopefuls, yet a strong debate performance in his home state last week has produced fresh signs of momentum.
Introducing himself to many New Hampshire voters for the first time this week, he offered a pragmatic approach to national politics likely to antagonize some of his party’s more conservative voters.
