Kasich

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s last remaining challenger for the Republican Party presidential nomination, John Kasich, dropped out of the race on Wednesday, leaving the presumptive nominee with the task of uniting a fractured party around his White House bid.

Even before winning his home state of Ohio in March, Kasich was facing pressure to get out of the race, with no clear path to victory. His campaign never became more than a spoiler run, designed to keep Trump from getting the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination before a contested convention.

Trump’s commanding win in Indiana on Tuesday made stopping the front-runner nearly impossible. Party leaders like Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus called Trump the “presumptive nominee” even with Kasich still in the race.

Kasich’s could potentially still end up on the Republican ticket — he has been floated as a possible pick for vice president, based in part on his popularity in Ohio, a crucial swing state.