WASHINGTON - Planned Parenthood political organizations announced Thursday that they'll spend at least $20 million in this year's elections, with a particular focus on gubernatorial and Senate races in Ohio and seven other states.

Planned Parenthood Votes executive director Deirdre Schifeling says the organization decided to intervene in Ohio because it hopes to "elect reproductive health champions who will fight with us to expand .. access to health care."

In Ohio, Planned Parenthood backer Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, is up for re-election in the U.S. Senate. The group wants to elect a governor more sympathetic to its views after incumbent Republican John Kasich leaves office.

The organization has dubbed its initiative "March. Vote. Win." Schifeling says it will include "robust door-to-door canvassing" as well as online and television ads in key races.

The group says the current presidential administration has allowed employers to deny birth control coverage to their employees, cut teen pregnancy prevention programs, tried to block care at Planned Parenthood, attempted to strip more than 20 million people of their health care and stacked the courts with anti-abortion judges.

Schifeling said backlash against those policies already aided the 2017 election of candidates backed by the organization - like Virginia's Democratic governor, Ralph Northam. The organization will work in 2018 to vote out "politicians who have made careers of undermining our freedom and rights," she said.

"We've already seen millions across the country rise up," said a statement from Schifeling. "With the launch of March. Vote. Win.. we're taking this fight to the ballot box. We are going to ensure that our elected officials have our backs."

The group also plans to focus its efforts in Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada and Minnesota, she said.

"This is an initial investment," added Kelley Robinson, the group's national organizing director. "We will continue to evaluate where we an get involved."