Kasich appears to be the first of the Republican presidential candidates to take space in Richmond. Photos by Michael Thompson.
With opponents from the other side of the aisle already on the ground in Richmond, at least one member of the Grand Old Party has set up shop in town as part of his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Kasich for America opened an office last week at 5411 Patterson Ave. in the West End. The presidential campaign for Republican Gov. Jon Kasich of Ohio has leased the space through Virginia’s primary, which will be held March 1.
Scott Blake, Kasich’s regional political director for the eastern half of the country, said the office has one full-time Kasich staffer. The space will be used for supporters to meet for debate viewings, make phone calls, pick up campaign materials and meet before going door-to-door.
Might Trump or Rubio offices pop up next?
Blake said finding office space is a challenge for campaigns that are trying to use their resources wisely in a time crunch.
“You’re setting up offices sometimes for two to three weeks at a time,” he said. “The moment you get something you think works, you’ve got to pull the trigger on it.”
Blake said Richmond’s population density made it an attractive place to open an office. Blake said when it came time to find a Richmond office, the Kasich campaign met with local donors and volunteers about finding a space. When the Patterson Avenue site became an option, the Kasich campaign jumped on it.
“What I care about is if the space is big enough to house volunteers,” Blake said.
The Richmond office is one of three in Virginia for the Kasich campaign. The other two are in Fairfax and Virginia Beach. Blake said sites are chosen based on what states are important to a campaign strategy and which localities have a base of support for the campaign.
“We really thought that Virginia fits well with the governor’s message,” Blake said.
By all accounts, Kasich appears to be the only Republican presidential candidate that has officially taken space in Richmond as the primary approaches. The other candidates could not be reached for comment on this story.
The campaigns for Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have both opened offices in Richmond in recent weeks.
Kasich appears to be the first of the Republican presidential candidates to take space in Richmond. Photos by Michael Thompson.
With opponents from the other side of the aisle already on the ground in Richmond, at least one member of the Grand Old Party has set up shop in town as part of his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Kasich for America opened an office last week at 5411 Patterson Ave. in the West End. The presidential campaign for Republican Gov. Jon Kasich of Ohio has leased the space through Virginia’s primary, which will be held March 1.
Scott Blake, Kasich’s regional political director for the eastern half of the country, said the office has one full-time Kasich staffer. The space will be used for supporters to meet for debate viewings, make phone calls, pick up campaign materials and meet before going door-to-door.
Might Trump or Rubio offices pop up next?
Blake said finding office space is a challenge for campaigns that are trying to use their resources wisely in a time crunch.
“You’re setting up offices sometimes for two to three weeks at a time,” he said. “The moment you get something you think works, you’ve got to pull the trigger on it.”
Blake said Richmond’s population density made it an attractive place to open an office. Blake said when it came time to find a Richmond office, the Kasich campaign met with local donors and volunteers about finding a space. When the Patterson Avenue site became an option, the Kasich campaign jumped on it.
“What I care about is if the space is big enough to house volunteers,” Blake said.
The Richmond office is one of three in Virginia for the Kasich campaign. The other two are in Fairfax and Virginia Beach. Blake said sites are chosen based on what states are important to a campaign strategy and which localities have a base of support for the campaign.
“We really thought that Virginia fits well with the governor’s message,” Blake said.
By all accounts, Kasich appears to be the only Republican presidential candidate that has officially taken space in Richmond as the primary approaches. The other candidates could not be reached for comment on this story.
The campaigns for Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have both opened offices in Richmond in recent weeks.