Bobby Jindal

Bobby Jindal
Michael Vadon · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Bobby Jindal
Birth name	Piyush "Bobby" Jindal
Birth date	1971-06-10
Birth place	Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Alma mater	Brown University, Oxford University, University of Oxford
Occupation	Politician, author, consultant
Party	Republican Party
Spouse	Supriya Jolly

Bobby Jindal is an American politician, author, and former public official who served as the 55th governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and as Secretary of Health and Hospitals. He was a prominent 2016 presidential candidate and later entered the private sector, engaging with several think tanks and media organizations.

Early life and education

Born Piyush Jindal in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he is the son of an immigrant family from Punjab, India with ancestral roots in Himachal Pradesh. He was raised in the Hindusic cultural tradition before converting to Roman Catholicism in his youth. Jindal attended Catholic High School and then matriculated at Brown University, where he studied Biology and Political Science and was active in student organizations and Phi Beta Kappa. He later won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, studying at St Cross College and earning a Master of Arts in Political Theory.

Medical and early political career

After Oxford, Jindal returned to the United States and worked in health policy, serving on staff for figures in Congressional and executive circles. He served as an assistant to Tom Ridge at the United States Department of Homeland Security, worked with Newt Gingrich's policy organizations, and advised officials in the George W. Bush administration. Jindal was appointed as Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals under Governor Mike Foster and later under Governor Kathleen Blanco, overseeing programs interacting with Medicaid, CMS, and federal health agencies. He gained experience with budgetary and regulatory issues alongside contacts in organizations such as the ALEC and policy groups including the Heritage Foundation and the Hoover Institution.

Lieutenant Governor and gubernatorial campaigns

Jindal ran for national office and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004, representing a congressional district in Louisiana. He served on committees that placed him alongside members like John Boehner, Tom Delay, Darrell Issa, and Paul Ryan. In 2007, he campaigned for the governorship of Louisiana against opponents including Kathleen Blanco, Ray Nagin, and Billy Nungesser, highlighting issues tied to Hurricane Katrina recovery, state fiscal policy, and education reform. His campaign drew endorsements from national figures such as Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, and organizations including the NRA.

Governor of Louisiana (2008–2016)

As governor, Jindal led the state through post-Hurricane Katrina reconstruction efforts and navigated debates involving the state legislature, including interactions with leaders like Bobby Jindal's contemporaries in the Louisiana State Legislature and local officials such as Ray Nagin. His administration pursued policies on tax reform and sought to address budget shortfalls in collaboration and conflict with fiscal officers and agencies, including the Louisiana Department of Revenue and state treasurers. Jindal championed education initiatives that intersected with groups such as Teach For America, Louisiana State University, Tulane University, and advocates for charter schools, and he implemented changes to state programs that involved the Department of Justice in consent decrees and litigation. During his tenure he faced crises including natural disasters like Hurricane Gustav and Isaac, infrastructure challenges involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and controversies over personnel decisions and patronage that prompted scrutiny from national media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, and Fox News. He worked with federal figures including President Barack Obama, President George W. Bush, Secretary of Homeland Security, and congressional delegations from Louisiana on recovery funding and federal-state coordination.

2016 presidential campaign and later political activities

In 2015 Jindal announced a campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, participating in debates alongside candidates such as Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, and John Kasich. His campaign emphasized positions on immigration, fiscal conservatism, and foreign policy vis-à-vis actors like ISIS and nations including Iran. After failing to gain traction in early debates and polls tracked by organizations like RealClearPolitics and news outlets including CNN, ABC News, and NBC News, he suspended his campaign and later endorsed other figures in the primary. Post-campaign, Jindal engaged with think tanks and media, appearing on networks such as MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN, and joined advisory boards and private sector entities including consulting firms and policy organizations.

Political positions and public image

Jindal's policy positions have aligned with conservative elements of the Republican Party, advocating tax cuts, regulatory rollbacks, school choice, and a strong stance on law enforcement. He supported legislation and initiatives tied to figures like Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform, and groups promoting free-market policies such as the Cato Institute and the American Enterprise Institute. On social issues he took stances consistent with conservative activists and organizations including Focus on the Family, Family Research Council, and evangelical leaders. His public image was shaped by national attention from publications such as Time, The Atlantic, National Review, The New Republic, and broadcast interviews with anchors like Anderson Cooper, Sean Hannity, and Rachel Maddow. Critics and supporters debated his record on matters involving the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), environmental policy with agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, and infrastructure funding through interactions with federal entities such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Personal life and post-political career

Jindal is married to Supriya Jolly and has three children; he is active in religious institutions including Roman Catholic Church parishes and has written on faith and public life in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and National Review Online. After leaving elected office he accepted roles in the private sector, joining corporate boards, consulting practices, and policy forums, including the Carlyle Group-style private equity circles and engagements with universities like Brown University and Louisiana State University as a speaker. He has authored books and essays on governance and policy, contributed to journals such as The National Interest and The Weekly Standard, and remains a frequent commentator on national politics, often cited by media organizations including Bloomberg News, Reuters, Associated Press, and Politico.

Category:People from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians