| Bobby Jindal for President | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Campaign | United States Presidential Election, 2012 |
| Candidate | Bobby Jindal
|
| Affiliation | Republican Party |
| Status | Suspended |
| Launched | June 25, 2011 |
| Suspended | April 10, 2012 |
| Headquarters | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Key people | Campaign Manager Timmy Teepell Chief Strategist Curt Anderson Senior Advisor Gail Gitcho National Field Director Matt M. Parker |
| Receipts | US$33,435,729 |
| Slogan | Leadership and Service |
The 2012 presidential campaign of Bobby Jindal, the 55th Governor of Louisiana, was announced on June 25, 2011, at a rally in New Orleans. A week earlier, also in New Orleans, Jindal revealed he had formed an exploratory committee for the Republican nomination for President in 2012 while speaking at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference.
Jindal campaigned heavily in Iowa, visiting every county in the state at least once. His strength among Evangelical voters propelled him to victory over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the first contest of the presidential primaries. By the time he suspended his campaign in April of 2012, he won the second most votes and delegates to Romney, who became the party's nominee.
Jindal would on to run for President again in 2016, becoming the runner up in that primary to businessman Donald Trump. In 2017, Jindal would be elected to the United States Senate, from Louisiana. In 2020, Jindal would be selected as the Republican Party's nominee for Vice President, running on a ticket with nominee Ivanka Trump. The ticket would go on to win the November election, and Jindal was sworn in as the 49th Vice President of the United States in January 2021.
Background[]
Then-Representative Bobby Jindal was elected Governor of Louisiana in 2007, winning a four-way race with nearly 54% of the vote; he had previously ran for Governor in 2003, losing to Democrat Kathleen Blanco. Jindal cruised to victory in his second campaign, in large part to the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This marked the first time that a non-incumbent candidate for governor was elected without a runoff under the Louisiana election system. At age 37, he was immediately considered a rising star in the Republican Party.
Jindal's governorship of Louisiana was broadly popular, and his handling of crises such as Hurricane Gustav and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill earned bipartisan praise. In 2008, he was ranked one of the nation's most popular Governors in the country with an approval rating of 77%. In preparation for a presidential campaign, he eschewed running for a second term.
On May 18th, 2011, Jindal formed a presidential exploratory committee to determine whether he would run as a candidate in the 2016 presidential election, He formally launched his candidacy on June 25th.
Early Campaign[]
After announcing his campaign, Jindal was seen as one of three frontrunners for the nomination, alongside former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romnney and former Senator Rudy Giuliani of New York. Believing that the other two rivals would fare better in New Hampshire, Jindal focused most of his campaign's energy in Iowa, visiting each of the state's 99 counties at least once.
Primary Contests[]
Early States[]
Jindal's vigorous campaigning in Iowa, including visiting every county in the state and strength among Evangelical voters, propelled him to victory over Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the first contest of the presidential primaries.
Giuliani's campaign was significantly hampered by his "wait until Florida" strategy: instead of pursuing the typical strategy of focusing on early states such as Iowa or New Hampshire, he focused instead on larger states, particularly Florida, hoping a decisive win in that state's primary would propel him to victory in the Super Tuesday primaries on March 6th. Jindal's victory in Iowa raised his prospects, and he competed to win the New Hampshire primary; the contest was ultimately won by Romney, with Jindal coming in fourth place, behind Romney, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul.
Jindal's base of support among white Evangelicals proved more decisive in the South Carolina primary, where they comprised a larger share of the electorate. While he faced competition for these votes with fellow Southerner Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House. Romney, Giuliani, and Paul split the remaining vote, preventing any one of the three from taking advantage of this split.
Gingrich suspended his campaign after a third-place showing in South Carolina, while Giuliani suspended his campaign on February 1st after a third-place showing in Florida.
Super Tuesday and March Contests[]
Late Spring and Suspension[]
Aftermath[]
By the time he suspended his campaign in April of 2012, he won the second most votes and delegates over Romney.