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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: OK it’s only April — almost a year and a half before the next national election — but don’t tell the 18 declared candidates for President. Together they spent more than $55 million on their campaigns in the first three months of this year. Marketplace’s Steve Henn reports.

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STEVE HENN: Over the weekend all 18 presidential campaigns filed finance reports providing the first detailed look at how they are spending their money, and if the reports teach us anything it’s this: Pity New Hampshire voters.

TONY CORRADO: We are seeing money being spent on much more than fundraising. Almost $2 million being spent on early advertising.

Tony Corrado who follows campaign finance at Colby College in Waterville Maine says he’s never seen that kind of spending on ads this early and he predicts the television advertising will only get more intense.

The biggest spenders so far are all Republicans. Mitt Romney blew through almost $14 million dollars in the last 3 months. John McCain wasn’t far behind spending more than $11 million.

The reports also show that Democrats aren’t having to work quite as hard to raise their cash. For each dollar out the door the leading Democrats raise about $4 bucks. Republicans are bringing in just about half that.

In Washington, I’m Steve Henn for Marketplace.