Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announces he's running for president

ByChris Good and Katherine Faulders ABCNews logo
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks during the Iowa Republican Party's Lincoln Dinner, Saturday, May 16, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa.
kabc-AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

It's official: Bobby Jindal is running for president.

The Louisiana governor announced his 2016 presidential campaign in a tweet this afternoon, roughly five hours before he was scheduled to speak in Louisiana. He becomes the 13th Republican seeking the White House in 2016.

Jindal's tweet links to a page of videos of Jindal and his wife discussing his looming campaign with their children. A camera, apparently hidden out of sight, captures the family as they sit and discuss the campaign on a patio.

Jindal's campaign message, according to aides, will be that Jindal is the youngest candidate with the longest resume. He will argue that Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is trying to divide America by ethnicity, gender, and economic status and that Clinton and Obama are leading America to socialism. He will also emphasize the fact that there are a lot of top talkers in the race, but very few doers, his staff said.

At political events this year, Jindal has argued for religious freedom and has alleged Christian values and faith have been threatened by the political left.

Jindal is the first Indian-American to enter a presidential race as a contender for a major party's nomination.

He enters the race as a significant longshot: He hasn't surpassed one percent in a major national poll since April, and he faces a crowded field of conservatives.