Labor union limits focus to 8 battleground states - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

WASHINGTON (WKOW) -- Wisconsin is among the few states that one of the nation's most politically active labor unions plans to focus its resources on this year in an effort to re-elect President Barack Obama.

The Service Employees International Union says it will target its massive field campaign in just eight battleground states, including Wisconsin, to turn out voters. That's about half the number it focused on in 2008.

The 2.1 million-member union also hopes to get twice as many of its members to volunteer in its political program than the last presidential race. They're hoping for about 100,000 volunteers.

Including Wisconsin, the target states are Colorado, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Each state is considered crucial for an Obama victory.

Overall, the union is expected to spend at least $85 million to help Obama win, similar to what it spent in 2008.