By Francesca Trianni and Diane Tsai
A couple of months back, few would have predicted Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s strong performance in the New Hampshire primary. The governor held a total of 106 town halls in the state, focusing most of his limited resources in New Hampshire.

At his election night watch party, Kasich maintained the positive tone that has become a hallmark of his campaign.
“Maybe, just maybe we are turning the page on a dark period in American politics,” he said. “Tonight, the light overcame the darkness of negative campaigning.”
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Write to Francesca Trianni at francesca.trianni@time.com and Diane Tsai at diane.tsai@time.com