Jindal Wins La. Governor Race

Bobby Jindal won the Louisiana gubernatorial race late yesterday, making the 36-year-old Republican congressman the first Indian-American to head a US state—and the nation's youngest governor. In a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one, Jindal won 54% of the vote, eliminating the need for a runoff election. His triumph speaks to the dissatisfaction with Democratic leaders since Katrina, Bloomberg notes.

There are also at least 56,995 fewer Democratic voters now than when the storm hit four years ago. The election was Jindal's second bid for governor; he ran unsuccessfully against Gov. Kathleen Blanco four years ago. Blanco opted out of the race this time after widespread criticism of her handling the Katrina crisis. Jindal, a Rhodes scholar, was running Louisiana's health department at 24, before his election to the House. (More governor stories.)