The son of Punjabi immigrants won an election in Louisiana to become the first Indian-American US state governor, media reports said Sunday. Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, 36, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, is also the first non-white to hold the post since the 1870s and the nation's youngest governor.
"My mom and dad came to this country in the pursuit of the American dream. And guess what happened? They found the American dream to be a alive and well right here in Louisiana," Jindal told a cheering crowd, in a televised speech after his victory.
He won 53 percent of the vote with more than 90 percent of votes counted, said The Advocate newspaper in the state capital Baton Rouge. His nearest challenger had just 18 percent. The score meant Jindal avoided a runoff election and would be sworn in as governor in January. In 2004, Jindal became the second Indian-American to be elected to the US Congress.
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