Karen Waldbillig Kasich

Karen Waldbillig Kasich
First Lady of Ohio
In role
January 10, 2011 - January 14, 2019
GovernorJohn Kasich
Preceded byFrances Strickland
Succeeded byFrances DeWine
Personal details
Born
Karen Waldbillig

(1963-12-26) December 26, 1963 (age 60)
Upper Arlington, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
​
(m. 1997)​
Children2
Alma materOhio State University
OccupationBusiness executive

Karen Waldbillig Kasich (born December 26, 1963)[1] is an American business executive and wife of Governor of Ohio and former 2016 presidential candidate John Kasich.

Kasich was born in Upper Arlington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, and obtained a bachelor's degree in communications from Ohio State University.[2][3][4] She and then-Congressman Kasich were married in 1997.[5][6]

Kasich left her job as vice president with GSW Worldwide, a health-care advertising agency, to become a full-time parent when the Kasichs' twin daughters, Emma and Reese, were 2 years old.[3][7]

Karen Kasich, alongside Emma and Reese, campaigned with the Governor in New Hampshire in the weeks before the 2016 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary.[8][9]

  1. ^ Ohio Voters
  2. ^ Theiss, Evelyn (13 January 2011). "Ohio's new first lady: Fitness for health, not just appearance". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b Saunders, A. (27 September 2010). "Focused on her family". Columbus Dispatch.
  4. ^ Marcin, Tim (21 July 2015). "Who Is Karen Kasich? Meet Ohio Gov John Kasich's Wife, Potential First Lady for 2016". International Business Times. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Happy Couple". Columbus Dispatch. 23 March 1997.
  6. ^ "Karen Kasich, twin daughters take center stage at John Kasich's campaign kickoff". Washington Times. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  7. ^ Rowland, Darrel (26 December 2015). "Family comes first for Karen Kasich, not the grind of presidential campaign trail". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  8. ^ Tuohy, Dan (19 December 2016). "Kasich says presidential campaign season has strengthened his faith". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  9. ^ Davis, Linsey (1 February 2016). "John Kasich's Wife Karen Kasich: 'He Really Wants to Bring All People Up'". ABC News.