Louisiana favors Jindal in first Post-Katrina Governnor's Race

According to Bloomberg News, Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal, a Rhodes Scholar who became Louisiana's health secretary at 24, is the frontrunner to win the governor's race and become the first Indian-American to lead a U.S. state.

Jindal needs a majority of the vote in an Oct. 20 open primary to avoid a runoff four weeks later. Polls have him capturing almost 50 percent of the vote, while his three closest competitors are each struggling for 10 percent.

The election for governor is the first since hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005. Governor Kathleen Blanco, a Democrat, isn't seeking re- election after facing criticism for how she dealt with the storms. A win by Jindal, who lost to Blanco in 2003, would put a Bush administration ally in charge of the second-poorest state.