National

John Kasich ends Republican presidential campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the 2016 presidential campaign (all times EDT):

12:00 p.m.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is suspending his presidential campaign, leaving front-runner Donald Trump the uncontested candidate in the Republican race.

Kasich is expected to make the official announcement in Columbus, Ohio.

11:40 a.m.

John Kasich has cancelled a press conference in Virginia and plans to make a statement from Columbus, a day after one of his last remaining rivals, Ted Cruz, ended his campaign.

Kasich’s campaign is not providing details about what the Ohio governor plans to say in his statement later Tuesday, or on why he canceled his Virginia event. Kasich is facing increasing pressure to drop out of the race to clear the path for front-runner Donald Trump to win the nomination.

Kasich had planned fundraisers in the Washington, D.C., area Wednesday. He had planned to address reporters at Dulles Airport but his campaign says he is no longer going there.

11:35 a.m.

One of the more vulnerable Senate Republicans — New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte — will support likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, but won’t endorse him.

Liz Johnson, a spokeswoman for the senator, said in a statement Wednesday that Ayotte “plans to support the nominee” — with no mention of Trump’s name.

Ayotte is locked in a tight race with New Hampshire Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan. Johnson said that Ayotte, who is a candidate, “hasn’t and isn’t planning to endorse anyone this cycle.”

Republicans hold a 54-46 advantage in the Senate, but with more GOP seats on the ballot in November, they are fighting to hold onto their majority.

10:35 a.m.

One of Ted Cruz’s staunchest financial backers is signaling support for Donald Trump now that he is the presumptive Republican nominee.

Mica Mosbacher writes in an email to The Associated Press that she is calling “on fellow conservatives to unite and support our new nominee Trump.”

Mosbacher was a key part of Cruz’s finance team. She is the widow of Bob Mosbacher, a Houston oilman who served as President George H.W. Bush’s Secretary of Commerce.

She says she supported her senator, Cruz, because she saw him as giving voice to the American people. Trump, she says, “also listened to the people.”

Cruz abruptly quit the race after Trump won a resounding victory over him in Indiana Tuesday night.

7:28 a.m.

Donald Trump says he’s planning to accept more political contributions now that he’s the Republican Party’s likely presidential nominee.

The billionaire businessman previewed his path forward Wednesday morning, a day after his chief rival, Ted Cruz, suspended his campaign.

Trump tells ABC’s “Good Morning America,” that he “probably will take small donations,” up to the legal contribution limits but will still contribute to his own campaign. He adds that he doesn’t “want anyone to have big influence over me.”

Trump often tells supporters that he’s funding his campaign largely from his own pockets, although he’s been accepting smaller donations for several months. He says he’s spent about $44 million so far of his own money. He needs much more, however, going forward. The price tag for a general election is likely around $1 billion.

Trump also says he’s confident he “can unite much of” the Republican Party even though he doesn’t want the support of some Republican critics.

6:30 a.m.

Virtually assured of the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump says he likely will “go the political route” in choosing a vice presidential running mate.

The real estate mogul says in a broadcast interview Wednesday that he’s “inclined” to prefer a No. 2 person on the ticket “who can help me get legislation passed.” He notes he already has business experience and tells MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” he wouldn’t want to have to resort to presidential executive orders to get things done.

Trump also reveals he’ll be making a decision over the next week on how to fund a general election campaign.

He says “I do love self-funding,” but adds that he’s thinking over his strategy and will have an answer soon.

“Do I want to sell a couple of buildings? I don’t really want to do that,” he said. But he said that he wouldn’t necessarily want a new source of money “for myself” but that the party needs to bolster its funding. He was asked if he would accept money from super PACs in the fall, although he has refused to do so thus far.

5:50 a.m.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has taken to Twitter to attack what she calls presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s “toxic stew of hatred & insecurity.”

The Massachusetts Democrat issued a series of tweets Tuesday night as results from the Indiana GOP primary forced Texas Senator Ted Cruz from the race and left Trump as the overwhelming favorite for the nomination.

Warren tweets that Trump has built his campaign on “racism, sexism and xenophobia” and that there’s more enthusiasm for him “among the leaders of the KKK than leaders of the political party he now controls.”

Warren says what happens next is “a character test for all of us — Republican, Democrat, and Independent.”

Warren has been mentioned by party insiders as a potential running mate for likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

5:30 a.m. Gov. John Kasich is not abandoning his quest for the White House in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in Indiana.

His campaign issued a statement on Facebook early Wednesday saying that the election results “are not going to alter Gov. Kasich’s campaign plans.”

The statement adds: “Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention. 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.”

Kasich has won just one primary — his home state of Ohio — and trails Trump by nearly 900 delegates.

Kasich pledged to stay in the race, with his campaign manager saying the governor would continue to “offer the voters a clear choice for our country.”

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