U.S. Congressman Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (R-La.) was elected Louisiana's new governor last Saturday, making him the nation's first Indian-American governor.
Under Louisiana's open "jungle primary" format, all candidates are listed on the ballot regardless of party affiliation, with any candidate capturing more than 50 percent of the vote winning the election outright.
In a field of 12 candidates, Jindal received 54 percent of the vote, trailed by Democrat Walter Boasso with 17 percent.
Born and raised in Baton Rouge, La., Jindal, 36, is the son of Indian immigrants. "My folks came to this country in pursuit of the American Dream. And guess what happened—they found the American Dream to be alive and well right here in Louisiana!" he said in his victory speech last Saturday posted on his Web site.
"They originally chose Louisiana so mom could study at LSU … My dad was the first and only one of nine kids to even go to high school. Like most of you, my parents walked a much harder road than I have ever walked," said Jindal.
Jindal walked a much different road from his parents, graduating from high school at 16, maintaining a 4.0 GPA at Brown University until being selected as a Rhodes scholar.
He got his professional start in public service, choosing to turn down admission offers to Harvard and Yale medical and law schools, and instead taking up an appointed post as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH), the state's largest department.
Jindal has been hailed by politicos as a newcomer "wunderkind" on the gubernatorial stage. He was appointed president of the University of Louisiana System at age 28 and was elected to the U.S. Congress at age 33, representing the First District of Louisiana.
Jindal first ran for governor four years ago against Democrat Kathleen Blanco, losing by four percentage points. He went on to serve in the U.S. Congress in 2004, and is currently serving his second term.
He ran on a gubernatorial platform highlighting economic development, education, health care, and government reform.
Jindal has emphasized ethics reform as a first order of business once he is in office.
Media attention has highlighted his Indian-American background, as the first state governor of South Asian background. But when it comes to support from Indian Americans, political affiliation may trump ethnic ties.
Toby Chaudhuri, communications director at the Indian American Leadership Initiative, a network of Indian-American Democrats, said there are mixed feeling among many Indian Americans.
"Indian Americans are hoping that Bobby Jindal's gubernatorial victory in Louisiana will mark a turning point for a group that is getting more politically active in the U.S.,"said Chaudhuri in an e-mail to The Epoch Times.
But he added that there is a mixed sense of euphoria and caution over Jindal's victory. "Some people supported Jindal, hoping it would make a big statement that an Indian-American can become the governor of a Dixie state as a candidate from a historically white-only party. But Bobby is a conservative Republican, and most Indian Americans aren't, so there are a lot of mixed feelings about him," said Chaudhuri.
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