SPRINGFIELD -- Cheryle Jackson, who once served as a top aide to disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, says she's raised $354,000 in her bid to become Illinois' next U.S. senator.

The dollar totals puts the former gubernatorial spokeswoman third among the Democrats seeking Barack Obama's old post -- the same seat that Blagojevich allegedly schemed to sell for personal gain.

Jackson announced her fundraising tally Tuesday during a stop at the Springfield Amtrak station where she promoted the Obama administration's push to expand the nation's high speed rail network.

It was her first campaign swing outside of Chicago, where she had been serving as chief of the Chicago Urban League since leaving Blagojevich's side three years ago. She plans to make stops this week in Champaign-Urbana and Carbondale on what she is calling a "listening tour."

Jackson is vying for the Democratic nomination against state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and former Chicago inspector general David Hoffman. Giannoulias says he has raised $2.4 million, while Hoffman reports just under $1 million after he seeded his account with $500,000 of his own money.

Jackson on Tuesday downplayed her connection to the impeached governor, saying, "I wasn't part of the political operation."

Since leaving the administration, Jackson said she has established a "clear pattern of independence" by publicly opposing his efforts to impose higher taxes on business and for pushing for an overhaul of school funding in Illinois via the filing of a lawsuit.