Chicago Sun-Times: Hull has spent a record $12 mil.

Former Las Vegas gambler M. Blair Hull is making millionaire Republican Peter Fitzgerald look like one of the little old ladies playing the nickel slots.

Hull is using the same self-financing formula Fitzgerald used to win his U.S. Senate seat six years ago -- but the Democrat has already spent $12.15 million of his fortune. That roughly equals the $12 million Fitzgerald pulled out of his pocket for his entire record- setting 1998 Senate primary and general election campaigns.

On top of that spending, Hull moved an additional $6.54 million from his wallet to his campaign fund over the last month -- setting himself up for at least $18.7 million in spending.

And the March 16 primary is still six weeks away.

In just the final three months of last year, Hull spent $5.6 million in the race to succeed the outgoing Fitzgerald -- an average of $61,629 a day.

"My first reaction? I'm jealous," said Democratic rival Nancy Skinner, a radio personality who has raised just $82,583 since she entered the race in July. "That lucky son of a b----. If I had the same kind of money, I would win."

The depth of Hull's pockets was detailed in campaign reports due Saturday that covered the last three months of 2003.

And just as his rivals were digesting the news that the millionaire investor had already spent more than $12 million through the end of the year, Hull sent out a required notice that he pumped in another $6,543,722 in January.

Other documents showed that at least three other Democrats in the primary -- state Comptroller Dan Hynes, former Chicago School Board President Gery Chico and state Sen. Barack Obama -- have each raised more than $3 million since they entered the race to succeed Fitzgerald.

And on the Republican side of the contest, three of the four GOP millionaires put substantial chunks of their fortunes into their campaign kitties, led by former investment banker Jack Ryan, who raised $2.1 million -- more than $1.2 million of it from his own checkbook.

But no one on either side could match the spending of Hull, who has said he will spend $40 million of his own money on the primary and general elections combined.

That would easily crush the record Fitzgerald set for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois and the record for any office in Illinois, besting the $24 million that Democrat Rod Blagojevich raised and spent in his 2002 campaign for governor.

Hull would fall shy of the national record for a Senate race, the $63 million Democrat Jon Corzine spent to win a New Jersey seat in 2000.

Hull, 61, who parlayed $25,000 in 1970s blackjack winnings into a trading company that he and his partners sold for $531 million in 1999, declined to discuss his largess. A spokesman dismissed any suggestion he was trying to buy the election.

"The level of Blair's spending is indicative of his commitment to this campaign and the issues he cares about," aide Jim O'Connor said.

So where is Hull's money going?

Much of it went for television commercials -- nearly $2.8 million over just the last four months. An additional $621,950 was paid out for campaign literature mailed directly to voters' homes. And $169,851 put up billboards from Chicago to Peoria to Quincy to Centralia.

With virtually no volunteers, Hull's campaign had 148 people on the payroll at one time or another during that period, earning a combined $647,471 in salaries.

Two out of five of those people earned less than $1,000 each, but 32 of them made at least $5,000 during that three-month period.

And on top of all those campaign staffers, Hull paid 28 different political consultants a combined $207,872 during the period.

Thousands went out for food -- everywhere from Spago Chicago to the Denny's in Effingham. To help wash it all down, Hull spent $841 for three months of gourmet coffee service for his staff, and $144 for bottled water.

Hull's petty-cash spending from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 was $14,531. That's more than the $12,516 Republican candidate Jonathan Wright has raised during his entire campaign.

If his rivals begrudged Hull his spending, they didn't show it.

"Great country, America," said Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. "How can you not admire someone who wants to spend $40 million and doesn't skip a beat?"

Pappas has raised a mere $247,462 since she entered the race in November, but she insisted she was still in the running.

"We'll be fine," she said.

After Hull, Hynes was leading the Democratic battle for distant second in the money race. He raised $713,857 in the last three months of last year, bringing his campaign total to more than $3.4 million.

Chico raised $383,468, bringing his total since entering the race to more than $3.2 million. Obama added $834,064 in contributions, bringing his total to slightly more than $3 million.

The other Democratic millionaire in the race, health care consultant Joyce Washington, added $279,825 during the year's final quarter -- $254,041 of it from her own bank account.

In the GOP race, Ryan added $345,228 to his kitty, bringing his campaign total to $2.1 million. He has put in $1.25 million of his own money and has said he will go as high as $3 million for the primary.

Dairy and investment magnate Jim Oberweis raised $126,922 during the period. That brings his total to $1,015,509 -- $804,178 of it his own money.

Oak Brook entrepreneur Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria lent his campaign $682,929 and raised $26,541. Kathuria has said he could put up to $3 million of his fortune into the GOP primary.

The remaining millionaire, Andy McKenna Jr., has not dipped into his fortune yet. He raised $319,955 during the period, bringing his total to $1.3 million.

State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger raised just $220,871, bringing his total to $351,031. Former Major Gen. John Borling raised $89,588, bringing his sum to $203,157.

Democratic candidates Money raised $12,680,861 $3,021,491 $3,213,201 $247,462 $3,479,940 $82,583 $868,826

Money spent $12,154,347 $1,221,113 $2,399,439 $46,118 $1,652,990 $61,076 $398,275

Money on hand Jan. 1 $526,514 $1,789,877 $761,440 $201,344 $1,826,949 $21,507 $437,628

Own money $12,598,069 $10,500 $9,575.66 0 0 0 $503,822

republican candidates Money raised $2,160,714 $1,332,800 $1,015,509 $709,471 $351,031 $203,157 $12,516

Money spent $2,121,757 $1,078,021 $369,143 $119,617 $212,325 $105,884 $9,740

Money on hand Jan. 1 $36,406 $254,778 $641,376 $589,853 $138,706 $97,273 $2,775

Own money $1,250,000 $49,659 $804,178 $682,929 $14,000 $118,870 0

SOURCE: Federal Election Commission Reports supplied by campaigns.