It came down to a matter of race versus gender on Nov. 15. Louisiana voters were choosing, in a runoff election, if they wanted to elect their first non-white governor or their first female governor.
The candidates were conservative Republican Indian-American Bobby Jindal, 32, and Democratic Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, 60.
Jindal, who served as an assistant health secretary in the current presidential administration, had incumbent Mike Foster’s (R) support and was leading the polls up until Saturday, 45 to 38 percent.
But Blanco managed to overtake Jindal narrowly, winning 52 percent, (730,737 votes) to Jindal’s 48 percent (676,180 votes), CNN.com reports. More than half of Louisiana’s 2.7 million registered voters cast ballots
Jindal was gracious in defeat. “I stand here tonight disappointed, but not discouraged,” he said during his concession speech, CNN.com reports. “Although our campaign did not come out on top tonight, Louisiana and America did.”
Blanco’s election halted what would have been a sweep of the Deep South states – Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina – by the Republican Party, which hasn’t happened since Reconstruction, Foxnews.com reports.
Blanco has promised to expand kindergarten, increase teacher pay and phase out certain business taxes to attract business to the state. She also plans to be a consensus-builder and to have a very inclusive administration that cuts across gender, party and racial lines, reports The Shreveport Times.
Associate Dean for Campus Life, Jodi Gill, attended Newcomb College, a division of Tulane University, in New Orleans. “Even though this is the first female governor, for the state, Louisiana has a history of powerful and wonderful women in office,” she said. “Many states still have yet to have had a female governor. Let’s hope the trend continues.”
Blanco seems to be of the same frame of mind.
“It is very important that I do a good job,” Blanco told reporters. “When anyone breaks a barrier of any kind, a harsher spotlight shines on them. It just means you have to work harder to be successful. In this case, breaking the barrier for women means I have to succeed so that more women can come behind me.