Early Life, Education, and Early Political Career
Kasich was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, an industrial town near Pittsburgh. He was the son of Anne and John Kasich, who worked as a mail carrier. His father was of Czechoslovakian descent and his mother was of Croatian ancestry. After attending public schools in McKees Rocks, Kasich enrolled at The Ohio State University, where he joined the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Ohio State in 1974. Kasich originally worked as a researcher for the Ohio Legislative Service Commission. From 1975 to 1978, he served as an administrative assistant to then-state Senator Buz Lukens.
In 1978, Kasich was elected to the Ohio Senate, representing the 15th district, after defeating Democratic incumbent Robert O'Shaughnessy with 56% of the vote. At age 26, Kasich was the youngest person ever elected to the Ohio Senate. One of his first acts as a state senator was to refuse a pay raise.
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