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40-year-old Jindal, who was widely favoured to win, secured 66 per cent of the vote with 98 per cent precincts reporting Saturday evening, CNN said, citing unofficial results from the Secretary of State. His next closest competitor, Democrat Tara Hollis, got about 18 per cent of the vote, while other candidates pulled in low single digits.
Jindal, son of Indian immigrants, will be sworn in for his second four-year term in January next year. "You`ve chosen me to be your Governor," Jindal said at his campaign headquarters in Baton Rouge. "I`m truly humbled and honoured by the trust and privilege you`ve bestowed upon me," he was quoted as saying. Vowing to "never coast" as long as he remains the state Governor, Jindal added: "I will give you my all."
The Governor, who won his first term in 2007 with 54 per cent of the vote, faced little opposition this time around. In the initial years of his first term, there was speculation about his potential 2012 presidential run against President Barack Obama. But he has repeatedly denied any intention to run for president and now backs Texas Governor Rick Perry for the Republican presidential nomination.
Jindal, a vocal critic of Obama`s stimulus package, hit headlines when he vowed not to take any funds from the bill for Louisiana. In 2010, Jindal earned praise for his handling of the BP oil spill off the Gulf Coast. Earlier in 2008, his leadership during Hurricane Gustav, when he ordered a mandatory evacuation and called more than 3,000 National Guard troops into the state, was hailed.
At the age of 36, Jindal was the youngest US Governor when elected in 2007. He was also the first Indian-American Governor.
The state holds a non-partisan blanket primary, meaning if a candidate wins 50 per cent or more of the votes, then he or she wins the race.
Jindal overwhelmed his nine competitors in the open primary.
If the Governor had failed to secure a majority, he would have gone head-to-head with the second place candidate in the gubernatorial general on November 19.
