Gov. Bobby Jindal Cruises to Re-election
Popular Republican Bobby Jindal easily won re-election as governor Saturday in Louisiana's uncommon election system. Jindal, considered a rising star in the Republican Party, has been praised for his crisis management skills.
Jindal won 66 percent of the vote against nine other candidates, a new record for a Louisiana governor's race. The previous record, set in 1983, was 64 percent.
In Louisiana, all candidates from both parties run on the same ballot in the primary election. If no one receives a majority of the vote (which usually happens), the top two candidates will face each other in a November general election. Since Jindal won a majority, he will not have to face a general election opponent in November.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
“Every time I run for governor the LSU Tigers win the national championship. I'm not putting any pressure on them. I'm just saying,” Jindal jokingly told the crowd during his acceptance speech just 45 minutes after polls closed.
“I will use every day, every hour of these next four years to make Louisiana the very best that we can be,” Jindal added in a more serious tone.
Jindal's leadership came to national attention during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. He was highly critical of the Obama administration for being slow to respond.
Popular among Republicans nationally, Jindal was considered a potential favorite if he decided to run for the presidency. He decided against running nationally, but is still often considered on the short list of potential vice presidential nominees.
Sen. John McCain asked Jindal to be his running mate in 2008, but Jindal turned him down. McCain then chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
Jindal is a Catholic and is supporting Texas Governor Rick Perry for president. In an Oct. 16 interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he talked about controversial comments made by Dallas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, who called former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's Mormon faith a “cult,” as he was endorsing Perry.
“Look, I don't think it's for any of us to judge somebody else's religious views, their relationship with God. The Bible's very clear, that's up to God, not up to us. I have some experience with this, by the way. Last time I ran for office, the Democratic Party in Louisiana attacked me for my faith, which I thought was ridiculous,” Jindal said.
Jindal's second term will begin in January.
