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And the rally proved even more popular than organizers had expected, said State Sen. Tony Hwang of Fairfield, Kasich’s campaign chair in Connecticut. It was moved from the University Commons on campus, which holds about 500 people, to the new Frank and Marisa Martire Business & Communications Center, which can accommodate closer to 1,200 people.
It is the first big public event with a candidate held in Fairfield County during the primary season, with voting in Connecticut set for Tuesday, April 26. It was free to attend. People were asked to register with an online RSVP but no one was checking tickets as the crowd began filing in at 11 a.m. for the event that began just after 12 noon.
Kasich did not win any of the first 22 primaries and caucuses, but on March 15, he won the winner-take-all primary in his home state of Ohio, grabbing the 66 delegates at stake.
The candidate, whose popularity appears to be growing, will be holding a rally later Friday in Syracuse, N.Y. Kasich has twice had to move to a larger venue to accommodate the expected crowd, according to Syracuse.com. The primary in New York is set for April 19.
A Kasich spokesman said the candidate plans to continue on through to the Republican National convention, according to a report at CNBC, telling Republican opponents Donald Trump and Ted Cruz that he won't drop out of the race.
"The reason why Trump and Cruz are trying to push us out is they know we can win an open convention," a spokesman for the the Kasich campaign told CNBC.
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