Members of the United Farm Workers Union fanned out across the Salinas Valley on Sunday, joining other union groups across the state campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown.

With eight days left in the race, both Brown and rival Republican candidate Meg Whitman are hitting the campaign trail hard.

Over the weekend, while Brown visited African American churches in Southern California, Whitman wooed Asian Americans in the Silicon Valley.

In Salinas, Efren Barajas, vice president of the local United Farm Workers chapter and others met at the union hall on Wood Street before going door to door to urge voters to go to the polls on Nov.2 .

Political observers say the key to Democratic victories in California is a high Latino turnout. In 2008, Latinos were 21 percent of California voters — a six-point increase over their share in the 2006 midterms. The unions are waging a massive campaign in Latino communities to boost turnout and introduce Brown to a new generation of Latino voters.

Meanwhile, Whitman has plowed millions of dollars into Latino outreach. Her campaign has run Spanish-language ads since June and opened offices in Latino neighborhoods. Despite her efforts a Survey USA poll shows Whitman with just 33 percent of the Latino vote.

On Sunday, about 100 farm workers and UFW volunteers gathered at the Salinas UFW office to campaign in favor of a Democratic ticket, including Brown and local Latino candidates Luis Alejo for Assembly, Anna Caballero for state Senate and Richard Ortiz for mayor of Soledad.

Following gatherings at breakfast and lunch, groups of volunteers carpooled to King City, Greenfield, Soledad, Gonzales, Chualar and Salinas.

Barajas said Brown signed labor laws during his governorship (1975-83) in favor of farmworkers' right to organize, workers compensation and unemployment benefits.

"We see [in Brown] another opportunity here to advance other laws that benefit farm workers," Barajas said.

Desiderio Barroso, who said he worked in the fields for 55 years, was one of five men who walked Bardin, Toro and Cross streets in east Salinas.

Barroso, a Salinas resident who will turn 79 in four months, said the importance to encourage others to vote keeps him lively and energetic.

"We need better leaders in California," Barroso said. "Jerry Brown and local leaders like Luis Alejo, whose parents were farm workers, will represent us well."

Francisco Cerritos, campaign coordinator for Salinas, from campaigning.