Kasich, in Mount Holly, talks up a local GOP candidate he sees in his mold

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the once and perhaps future presidential candidate, campaigned in Mount Holly on Friday afternoon for first-term Republican congressman Tom MacArthur's reelection.

Standing in a moist conference room packed with Republican activists in the late afternoon, Kasich praised MacArthur as a pragmatic and positive problem-solver, an example of what's right with politics.

Kasich has often found himself in such places, saying such things, in the months since his bid for the GOP presidential nomination ended. He is a much-booked surrogate for Republicans running for governor, the Senate, the House, and state legislatures.

He has paid special attention to New Hampshire, holding a thank-you reception for his supporters there and raising money and votes for Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R., N.H.) and Chris Sununu, the party's candidate for governor.

Kasich's travels seem a lot like the itinerary of a man planning to run for president in 2020 if GOP nominee Donald Trump loses this year.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do in 2020," Kasich told reporters. "Now, I'm not closing any doors - but that's just so far away."

Kasich has refused to endorse his primary-election rival, who has made no secret of his distaste for the Ohio governor. Their feud could complicate Trump's chances of carrying the swing state, with many loyalists in Kasich's get-out-the-vote machinery declining to work for him.

MacArthur has been more willing than his Republican colleagues in the New Jersey House delegation to embrace Trump. He was the only one of them to attend the GOP convention in July.

Despite his endorsement of Trump, MacArthur has emphasized his bipartisanship during the campaign, including working with Rep. Donald Norcross (D., N.J.) to try to help preserve the Air Force's KC-10 refueling wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington and Ocean Counties.

On Friday, MacArthur told the volunteers that he begins each day in Washington visiting the Democratic side of the House, and he talked about the importance of elevating the tone in politics, citing Kasich as a role model.

"One of the things I respect about him the most is he never gave in, he never took the bait. We all know that [the Republican primary campaign] didn't end like he wanted it to," MacArthur said. "But he kept his respect."

MacArthur conceded after the pep talk that he wished "the tone was different" in Trump's insult-hurling campaign: "I'm not going to answer for everything he's said."

But on balance, he is supporting Trump.

"Mr. Trump wasn't my first or my second choice for this nomination," MacArthur said. "And obviously we've only got two choices, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. The way I see it, we'll have a better chance of advancing the things that matter to us in the House with him in the White House."

That position is fine with Kasich, who said he doesn't discuss the top of the ticket with Republicans he's helping.

"Everybody has to do their thing," Kasich said. "I don't even ask. Everybody has to find their own way on this."

On paper, MacArthur's Third District should be competitive. Obama carried it twice, and the Democrats held the seat for a term before the 2010 GOP wave returned it to the Republicans.

But Democrats failed to recruit several candidates to challenge MacArthur. In the end, Frederick LaVergne, who has reported raising virtually no money and who avoids media attention, won the Democratic primary.

Kasich said he believes that voters are able to view the GOP's candidates for down-ballot offices separately from Trump.

"I want to make sure that in fact no matter who wins, that we have forces there in the House and the Senate that can make sure we have a good agenda moving forward," he said.

tfitzgerald@phillynews.com

215-854-2718@tomfitzgerald

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