On Tuesday, Ohio Governor John Kasich announced that he’s running for president.

In July 2015, it’s a bit strange to say he’s a little late to the race but that’s the case. It’s not going to be easy for him to make the top ten to be on the stage during the first debate — which takes place in his state. And while he has $12 million raised so far, that puts him behind many of the other candidates and with only a tenth of Jeb Bush’s war chest. But longshots have won in the past (not least our current president) and Kasich should, on paper, not be among the longest of longshots.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: Many conservatives won’t forgive John Kasich for being among the handful of Republican governors who went along with Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. Kasich is also a moderate on immigration and has told social issues conservatives to “get over it” when it comes to campaigning against same-sex marriage.

But this is a guy deserving of serious consideration.

• He chaired the House Budget Committee for the first time during the past generation that the federal government balanced its budget
• He served nearly two decades on the House Armed Services Committee, giving him real credentials when it comes to foreign policy and national security
• He’s probably the most popular governor in the country, in a state that Republicans cannot with the presidency without carrying
• He’s completely turned around Ohio’s budget, turning a deficit into a surplus while cutting state income taxes; he also proposed some tax increases which the state legislature mostly reduced or abandoned while cutting income taxes less than Kasich had wanted
• He’s one of the most credible Republicans when it comes to a chance of winning minority votes
• His brand of “compassionate conservatism” is very appealing to independent and even Democratic voters
• He comes across as a “real” person, as sincere, serious, talented, but not too full of himself

I’m not endorsing him (or anyone else) but I do think John Kasich is worth a real look by Republican primary voters. He has talent, experience, cojones, and is probably among the most electable of current Republican hopefuls.