10/22/2007
In the state's open primary on Saturday, Oct. 20, Congressman Bobby Jindal came out the winner in his second bid to lead Louisiana. Jindal, a Rhodes scholar, served as president of the University of Louisiana system and assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services prior to his bid for governor.
In 2004, he was elected to Congress representing Louisiana's 1st Congressional District. Proving to be a strong ally of small business, Jindal has a 100 percent record of supporting NFIB Key Votes and earned an NFIB Guardian of Small Business award in his first term. In September, Jindal was endorsed by the SAFE Trust, NFIB's political action committee, in the race for governor.
Jindal won 54 percent of the vote in a race among 12 candidates and became the first candidate to win an open gubernatorial race without a runoff since Louisiana adopted a nonpartisan primary in 1975. State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, and Lieutenant Gov. Mitch Landrieu all also won reelection, avoiding a runoff.
Incumbent state Attorney General Charles Foti lost his bid for a second term. District Attorney Buddy Caldwell and former congressional aide Royal Alexander will face each other in the Nov. 17 runoff election to succeed Foti. Seven-term Agriculture Secretary Bob Odom will face state Rep. Mike Strain in his first runoff since 1979.
