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NOAH ADAMS, Host: When Congress approved the North American Free Trade Agreement back in November, labor leaders vowed to work against members of Congress, especially Democrats, who voted for the trade pact. But with Congressional elections approaching, few such challenges have actually materialized. Ohio is a state where unions have a strong presence. NAFTA support is not expected to hurt one Democrat in the May 3rd primary there. But it has forced another incumbent Democrat to fight for his political life against a well- financed labor-backed candidate. NPR's Con Gonyea reports.
DON GONYEA, Reporter: Organized labor pulled out all the stops in an effort to kill the North American Free Trade Agreement and when Congress approved the trade pact last year, labor leaders felt they'd been betrayed by many of the 102 House Democrats who voted for NAFTA. After the vote, comments like these by William Bywater of the Electrical Workers Union, were not uncommon.
WILLIAM BYWATER, Electrical Workers Union: We will not forget those Congressmen and I guarantee in November, my union and many other unions that feel as I do, we're gonna make sure we get even at the polls.
GONYEA: But now with the 1994 mid-term election primary season underway, it appears as though only one Democratic Congressman who defied labor by supporting NAFTA is facing a serious labor-backed challenge. That's in Ohio's 1st District, which includes Cincinnati. Incumbent David Mann has a formidable opponent in the Democratic primary next month, long time State Senator Bill Bowen.
Green and black `Bowen for Congress' signs cover the windows of his spacious campaign headquarters, not far from downtown Cincinnati. Volunteers field phone calls, prepare mailings and compile computer lists while the 65-year old challenger points out that he and Congressman Mann have long been allies and friends.
STATE SENATOR BILL BOWEN, Democratic Primary Candidate: The problem I have is that he is not voting the best interests of the working men and women in the 1st Congressional District.
GONYEA: Senator Bowen repeats labor's contention that NAFTA will mean a loss of good paying jobs to Mexico. But Congressman Mann argues that just won't happen. He says the trade pact will mean more jobs for his district. The Congressman says he knew labor would...