CLEMSON, SC (AP)–Republican John Kasich says emotional exchanges like one he had Thursday with a young man at a town hall event have been happening throughout his campaign.

Kasich was at a town hall in South Carolina Thursday afternoon when he gave a hug to a man who said a person he was close to had recently killed himself, his parents had divorced and his father had lost his job. He said that he’d found hope in God and his friends – as well as the Ohio governor and GOP presidential contender.

At a televised town hall on CNN Thursday evening, Kasich says he’s heard similar stories from people across the country, including a man who drove from New York to New Hampshire to say he was guilt-stricken over not warning his cancer-stricken son about the risks of testicular cancer.

Kasich says the exchanges have made him realize that “we need to slow down.”

He said, “There are a lot of people out there who are lonely and are looking for a place to tell people about their issues.”