Unions show muscle, spent millions in state races

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Maggie Hassan won the New Hampshire governor's race, it wasn't just a victory for her fellow Democrats.

Unions spent millions backing Hassan with television ads and an extensive get-out-the-vote operation because she opposes a right-to-work bill to ban labor-management contracts that require affected workers to be union members or pay union fees.

From California to Maine, unions used their political muscle to help install Democratic governors, build labor-friendly majorities in state legislatures and defeat ballot initiatives against them.