John Kasich (63): The Republican Governor of Ohio has worked as chairman of the House Budget Committee, written three books and as a presenter on Fox.

Kasich was raised in a Roman Catholic home and fell away from faith as an adult, but returned and converted to Anglicanism after personal tragedy made him question the existence of God. Together with his wife, Karen, he now worships at St Augustine's Anglican Church, in Westerville, Ohio.

In 1987, Kasich's parents were killed in a car crash by a drunk driver. Prompted by a church minister, he was drawn to think about whether God existed and if he did whether he could have a relationship with him. He invited a group of friends to join him in his exploration of faith. They have now been holding a fortnightly Bible study group for more than 20 years, and the group became the subject of his 2010 book Every Other Monday: Twenty years of life, lunch, faith and friendship. He describes the group as "guys trying to make their way through life". "We spend so much time studying the sports section and working on our jobs, how many of us really spend time to think about the biggest issues in life?" he told Fox news.

He was running for governor when the book came out and was asked whether he thought it was God's will for him to win. Kasich said: "I think what God wants out of this is for me to be a better man. I have no clue as to whether He thinks it's important if I win or not."

Reiterating his sense of balance between the eternal and the temporal, he said at this year's Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference: "I have a mission, and I have a role on this earth. But I am trying to prepare myself for the world that's yet to come."

Controversially, he has defended Obamacare, and in doing so repeatedly cited Matthew 25 – Jesus' instruction to care for "the least of these". In an interview with the National Journal he praised Pope Francis for his emphasis on caring for the poor. He said: "The Pope's not saying, 'Let's just abandon everything up until now.' He's saying, 'But wait a minute! Before we get to the rules, let's look at the good stuff. Let's have the dessert first!' ... So instead of getting into the judgment, why don't we get into the feeding the hungry and clothing the naked and helping the imprisoned and helping the lonely? That's what we're commanded to do."

Kasich does not support same-sex marriage, but although some of the other Republican candidates have called for opposition to the Supreme Court's ruling, he has said Christians should abide by it. He is pro-life, except in cases of rape and incest.

Kasich has been criticised for speaking about his faith so much, and particularly for referencing the Bible to support policy – something he defended by saying it was so people knew what his ideas were based on. In an interview with The Columbus Dispatch he said: "My faith is part of me. In terms of how it affects my public policy ... on my best days, I sort of have an eternal perspective, which is really a great thing to have, because it frees you up. You don't get caught up in some of the things that can get in your way when you make decisions."