Jindal Wins Reelection in Landslide

Incumbent Republican governor Bobby Jindal was reelected yesterday in Louisiana's blanket primary election. Jindal, who received 65 percent of the vote against 9 other opponents, won a clear majority and therefore will not face a runoff. Jindal carried all 64 parishes and made big gains in Cajun country.

Michael Barone explains the big win for the Republican in what used to be a solid state for the Democratic party:

Jindal carried metro New Orleans despite losing the central city because of high percentages in suburban Jefferson Parish (76%) and St. Tammany Parish (84%). Jefferson Parish now casts many more votes than New Orleans and St. Tammany Parish almost as many. Jindal’s big win in Cajun country probably owes something to his efforts to clean up the Gulf oil spill and keep offshore rigs working; this does not look like favorable territory for Barack Obama in 2012, to say the least. Louisiana has the second highest black percentage of population of any state, and it appears that most votes against Jindal were cast by blacks. But he was still able to win more than 50% in many black-majority parishes. Altogether this was an impressive endorsement by voters who know Jindal well after four years in office.

Jindal's second term will begin in January.