Dem poll shows party's candidate up in Costello's seat

Democrats appear to have the edge in retiring Rep. Jerry Costello's (D-Ill.) open seat, according to a new poll from two Democratic groups first provided to The Hill.

The poll, conducted for the Democratic House Majority PAC and SEIU, shows retired Gen. Bill Enyart (D) leading former lieutenant governor candidate Jason Plummer by 49 to 41 percent. The same poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney by 50 to 41, a slight dip from the 11-point margin of victory he had in the district four years ago.

Both sides have indicated, by way of ad reservations, that the race is competitive. The district is Republicans' only serious pickup opportunity in the state, as they're defending four other seats in the state after a successful 2010 and a Democratic gerrymander.

The poll of 400 likely voters, conducted by the Benenson Strategy Group, was conducted from Sept. 11-13 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.