The Pulse 2016 reports that on Wednesday, Ohio Governor and 
Republican presidential campaign John Kasich answered a question on whether he would respect Roe v. Wade by stating, “Obviously it’s the law of the land now and we live with the law of the land.”
He subsequently moved on to the next question without elaborating on his position on abortion or explaining whether his answer means he would like to see Roe overturned. Following the event, campaign spokesman Chris Schrimpf told the Weekly Standard that Kasich was pro-life, but refused to specify whether he would nominate judges willing to overturn Roe as president.
“If the court makes a ruling, they make a ruling, but I think there are absolutely legitimate and constitutional restrictions that can be put on it,” Schrimpf said. “[Kasich] has consistently sought judges who, as President Reagan said, practice ‘judicial restraint,’ and understand that the courts are not ‘vehicles for political action and social experimentation’ and he would pursue that approach as President.”
Kasich’s record as a governor and Congressman is generally pro-life, but earlier this week, Live Action News reported that he also told CNN he believes “we focus too much on just” abortion, that while he considers it “important,” he would like to see greater emphasis placed on “really critical” issues such as infant mortality, education, and the environment.
“Pro-life voters, especially most Republican primary voters, do not accept Roe as the law of the land,” Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in response, prodding the governor to clarify. “Right now it appears he is satisfied with Roe’s status quo: abortion on-demand up until the moment of birth,” she said.
As previously noted by Live Action and the Pulse, Kasich has also declined to specify whether he would work to fully defund Planned Parenthood.
