BATON ROUGE (AP) — Bob Odom, a Democrat who has been Louisiana’s agriculture commissioner since 1980, said Thursday that he is dropping out of a Nov. 17 runoff election, handing victory to challenger Mike Strain, a Republican state representative.

‘‘For 28 years, I have served the people of this state with pride and dignity. I’ve accomplished many things, and I retire knowing I’ve done the best job possible for the agriculture industry for Louisiana,’’ Odom said at a news conference announcing his decision.

Odom has been battling criminal corruption charges since August 2002, when he was indicted on 21 counts. The case was whittled away over the years, and a state judge dismissed all remaining charges earlier this year. But prosecutors have appealed that ruling, asking for the case to be reinstated.

Despite his legal problems, he easily won re-election four years ago. And he led a field of four candidates in Saturday’s election with 41 percent of the vote. But he required a majority to win re-election and faced stiff competition from Strain, who got 40 percent and who campaigned as a reformer vowing to end corruption.

On Thursday, Strain stood next to Odom, and the two wished each other well.

‘‘Today we end this campaign. We’re going to take and beat the political swords back into plowshares,’’ said Strain, R-Covington. ‘‘In the next two weeks we’re going to begin an orderly and a progressive transition. As one chapter closes, another begins.’’

The news conference at the agriculture department building was an emotional one, with employees lined up to watch Odom’s speech, clapping, some wiping away tears as Odom thanked them for their service.

Odom spoke with his wife, Millie, his son, daughter and grandchildren at his side. The 72-year-old commissioner read from a written speech, fumbling over words. He said when he leaves office in January, he intends to start his own consulting business to continue working on agriculture issues for Louisiana.

When questioned, Odom denied that he was leaving the race because he was afraid he could lose.

He said he didn’t want to fracture the agriculture community in a bitter fight, and he said he wanted to seize the opportunity to start a consulting firm.

‘‘If I’m going to get into the consulting business, I need to do it now,’’ he said.

Odom’s decision marks the exit of one of Louisiana’s longtime Democratic powerbrokers and a shift away from Democratic dominance in statewide offices. Republican U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal won the governor’s race on Saturday, months after incumbent Democrat Kathleen Blanco decided not to run. State Treasurer John Kennedy was unopposed after switching to the GOP.

Republicans will hold at least five of the seven statewide elected posts beginning in January and could hold six after an attorney general runoff next month. They held only one after the elections four years ago.

Though Odom won re-election while under indictment in 2003, since then, he has been in public disagreements with several state officials, including Blanco and Kennedy. He attracted well-funded opposition, including Strain, a veterinarian who poured much of his own money into the campaign.

Odom was forced into a runoff for the first time since he first won the office in 1979.

He faced criticism for using agriculture department employees on construction projects and pushing to build state-financed sugar syrup mills despite questions about their financial viability. One sugar mill was built, but state officials scrapped plans for a second mill.

He also was accused of running the Department of Agriculture and Forestry — with a $100 million budget, 26 offices and more than 800 employees — like his own kingdom, an accusation Odom denied.

U.S. Sen. David Vitter, a Republican supporter of Strain, said he was excited to see Odom exit the race, equating the agriculture commissioner to imprisoned former Gov. Edwin Edwards, a Democrat.

‘‘Since Edwin Edwards went to jail, Bob Odom has become the king of the good ’ol boys, the poster child for bad, old fashioned Louisiana cronyism,’’ Vitter said in a statement.

But Ray Young, a farmer and agriculture consultant from Wisner, spoke kindly of the commissioner at the news conference. ‘‘Bob Odom’s legacy is defined by his commitment to agriculture throughout his life,’’ Young said.

Louisiana Farm Bureau President Ronnie Anderson thanked Odom for his service.

‘‘We appreciate his efforts to unify all those involved in agriculture and forestry. His work extended beyond the state, as he confronted problems that faced all farmers,’’ Anderson said in a statement.

Before being elected commissioner, Odom worked for the agriculture and forestry department, starting in 1960 and serving as chief of the pesticide division and executive assistant to the commissioner.