WORCESTER — The Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre is a long way from South Carolina.

But for about an hour Saturday, Ohio Governor John Kasich made the function hall the center of his presidential campaign as Republican voters went to the polls nearly 800 miles away in South Carolina.

Kasich campaigned in South Carolina on Friday then left for New England, where he visited a high school in Colchester, Vt., Saturday before traveling south to Worcester. There was little more he could have done in South Carolina on Saturday if he were there, he said.

“If I were there today, I would just be yelling at people on the way to the polls saying, ‘Hey! Vote for me!’ ’’ Kasich told reporters after a town hall event in Worcester. “If somebody yelled at me when I was going to the polls, I’d vote against them.’’

In Worcester, Kasich drew an enthusiastic crowd. Voters waited in line to see Kasich, who has focused his energy on winning the Midwest after finishing second in the New Hampshire primary.

Voters in Massachusetts and Vermont vote in presidential primaries March 1, which has been dubbed Super Tuesday.

Kasich said he spent only about a week in South Carolina and had wished for more time. Still, he said he expected to beat the low expectations predicted for his campaign there. Polls had Kasich trailing his rivals, including businessman Donald Trump and US Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.

“People thought we would not do better than getting a few people to fill a Volkswagen and we’ll at least get them to fill a van,’’ Kasich said.

He was scheduled to watch the primary results in Wakefield. Next week, Kasich plans to travel to the South.

“We’re going to go all the way to the convention,’’ he said. “There’s a lot of states I have to go to. And I’m never going to have the money that everybody else has, so I have to spread myself around as much as I can.’’

During his speech, Kasich gave a condensed version of his biography and explained how he snagged a White House meeting with President Richard Nixon when he was 18 years old. “Anything is possible,’’ he told the crowd.

Kasich repeatedly compared Worcester to his birthplace of McKees Rocks, Pa., a community of just over 6,000 people along the Ohio River.

He said he visited George’s Coney Island, the iconic hot dog spot on Southbridge Street, and met a boy who raised $1,600 for a police officer in his neighborhood who had fallen ill.

“How does a 7-year-old kid do that,’’ Kasich asked. “But you know what? That’s McKees Rocks. That’s Worcester, Mass. We’re all connected.’’

He also took a dig at Trump, who got into a war of words with Pope Francis last week after the pontiff suggested the billionaire “is not Christian’’ because of his pledge to build a wall between the United States and Mexico.

“I’m pro-pope, just so you know that,’’ Kasich said.

“I’m going to stay positive in this election even if I don’t win because we need to be positive and not negative,’’ he said.

During a question-and-answer period, however, one woman asked Kasich about his positive outlook.

“I think you’re just a lovely man,’’ she said. “But I worry.’’ The woman said she was concerned about Russian President Vladimir Putin, other world leaders, and rivals of Kasich, who are tough. “I worry that you’re just so nice,’’ she said.

After the event, Kasich said he thinks “nice usually wins.’’

“I don’t think we’re ever going to have to worry ultimately with the sense that I’m not capable of doing this because I’m a little marshmallow,’’ he said.

Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @lauracrimaldi.