By DENNIS CONRAD
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

10/16/02

WASHINGTON - With U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in the midst of a $1 million TV ad campaign, Republican rival Jim Durkin reported less than $100,000 in his campaign fund and still no plan for his first TV ad.

Democrat Durbin, a former Springfield congressman seeking his second term in the Senate, had $4.6 million in his fund as of Sept. 30, after raising $413,290 and spending $587,956 in the three previous months.

Durkin, a state representative from Westchester who defeated two millionaire businessmen in the March GOP primary, had $73,974, after taking in $115,945 and spending $172,481 since July.

The Durkin campaign also faces nearly $60,000 in debts and obligations, including a $40,000 loan from the candidate and a loan for a campaign van on which Durkin served as the guarantor.

Durkin, who won his primary with a shoestring campaign of about $300,000 and no TV ads, has been trailing Durbin in public-opinion surveys by margins of 2-1 or worse.

Durbin's campaign was scheduled to start airing TV ads in the Chicago area Tuesday, after having them play in nearly every downstate market for the past two weeks. The ad buy, including the upcoming week, was for slightly more than $1 million, said Durbin spokeswoman Stacey Zolt, and was made after the Sept. 30 campaign fund reporting period.

"Sen. Durbin has worked hard to raise money from a wide variety of individuals throughout the state of Illinois and from groups he's represented well in Congress," Zolt said.

Durkin campaign manager Brock Willeford said Durkin would probably have to go without any TV advertising, unless money is forthcoming from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

"We're still in talks," Willeford said.

Dan Allen, a spokesman for the GOP fund-raising arm, did not immediately return a phone message. Earlier this week, Allen said the group "is focusing on races where we have a chance to win a majority in the Senate." That included pouring $600,000 into Montana in the last month to air TV ads in a race where the Republican recently withdrew.

As it has for months, the Durkin campaign belittled the importance of fund raising in trying to unseat Durbin. "Jim doesn't ask people for their money; Jim asks them for their vote," Willeford said. "We feel we're outworking (Durbin) throughout the state, and we think we're going to do well."