California unions are backing Jerry Brown in the race for governor, but thus far the millions that Republican candidate Meg Whitman has at her disposal are making the difference. A rally last week by nurses got little media coverage, and Whitman pulled ahead in the polls. A spokesman for the California Labor Federation says that they have plans for the election, and that they will run an aggressive campaign. However, some analysts say that mandatory furloughs and layoffs have weakened labor in California, as well as the differences in resources. The California Teachers Association fought Governor Schwarzenegger's ballot measures in 2005, and some see that as an example for this campaign.
See "California unions wait in governor race spending", Peter Henderson, The Washington Post, April 5, 2010