Washington ? Organized labor’s election priorities include defeating a governor named Bush, ousting a Colorado senator with an anti-union voting record and electing a Democrat from a new district in Nevada.

With time and money dwindling as Election Day nears, labor is devoting its resources to pivotal races where it desperately wants Democratic victories.

The AFL-CIO is pouring out about $33 million into the 2001-2002 election cycle on top of that being spent by its 65 affiliated unions, many of which have their own political budgets and programs. Control of Congress and 36 governorships are at stake Nov. 5.

Labor is concentrating on 35 House, a half-dozen Senate and 20 governor’s races, among them:

Florida governor

In a state with about 500,000 union members and 140,000 union retirees, labor is working to get out the vote for Democrat Bill McBride, a Tampa lawyer, in his race against GOP Gov. Jeb Bush.

Voters are getting phone calls and fliers in the mail. The mailings take on Bush for Florida’s education budget, tax cuts for business and the elimination of state jobs through budget cuts and privatization. One shows a picture of Bush and says, “Why is Jeb Bush smiling while working families are struggling to make ends meet?”

Nevada’s 3rd

Congressional District

Union members are using Palm Pilots to build their voter lists and tailor messages to specific voters in support of Democrat Dario Herrera, a county commission chairman running against Republican Jon Porter, a former state senator.

Union members have knocked on 35,000 doors, and using Palm Pilots, have stored union voters’ information and the issues they consider most important. That information is downloaded daily into a voter database.

“We’re able to see if somebody’s running an ad, whether that’s making an impact,” said Danny Thompson, Nevada AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer.

Minnesota Senate

Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone is in a tight race with Republican challenger Norm Coleman, and that is energizing union members, said Steve Hunter, secretary-treasurer for the Minnesota AFL-CIO.

The effort includes worksite leafleting, mailers, phone banks and knocking on doors to the 400,000 union members in the state.

Colorado Senate

Colorado’s 140,000 union members can expect before Election Day nine to 12 phone calls or visits at work or home from their union or the AFL-CIO. Counting mailings, that number jumps to 15.

Unions are backing Democrat Tom Strickland over GOP Sen. Wayne Allard, who has earned a zero by the AFL-CIO for his votes on working-family issues.