Bobby Jindal, a Republican member of the House, was elected governor of Louisiana Saturday. Jindal will be the nation's youngest governor and the first nonwhite since Reconstruction to hold the post in Louisiana.Jindal is an Indian-American -- as in native of India.
Under Louisiana's open primary system, if none of the candidates received a majority of the vote, a runoff would have been necessary in November. But Jindal prevailed over 11 opponents with 53% of the vote and was elected outright to succeed Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who was criticized for the state's response to Hurricane Katrina two years ago and decided not to seek re-election.
Blanco defeated Jindal in the governor's race four years ago.
Despite beautiful weather on Saturday, voter turnout in the governor's race was down by 100,000, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. That may be a lingering effect of Hurricane Katrina. About half of the decline in participation came in New Orleans, where more than 120,000 voted in the 2003 governor's race, but just under 76,000 people participated Saturday.
Jindal promised a "fresh start" in his speech to supporters Saturday night.
And Captain's Quarters thinks Jindal may be starting a long, successful political run that could extend beyond Louisiana's borders.
But the Louisiana governor's mansion seems to have been a magnet for corruption and abuse of power for decades.
It remains to be seen if Jindal can reverse that trend.
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