BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal coasted to a second term, winning in a landslide election after failing to attract any well-known or deep-pocketed opposition.
The 40-year-old Republican overwhelmed nine competitors in the open primary Saturday. In Louisiana, a candidate wins outright if he or she receives more than 50 percent of the vote.
Jindal piled up $15 million in campaign cash from across the nation and attracted no Democratic challengers with statewide name recognition or fundraising heft. He’s had consistently high approval ratings since taking office in 2008.
The first Indian-American governor in the United States, Jindal is considered by some a possible presidential contender in the future. He recently published a book and regularly appears on national news shows.
The race that received more attention was the one for lieutenant governor. Incumbent Jay Dardenne, who took office after a special election last year, faced off against Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser. Like Jindal, Nungesser was a vocal critic of the federal response to the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
The Associated Press
