Illinois appears to have a good ol' horse race in the Democratic primary for the right to run for the top job in the state.
A new Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV poll found that Gov. Pat Quinn's 2-to-1 lead over Comptroller Dan Hynes in the same survey six weeks ago has shrunk to a statistical dead heat.
The poll showed Quinn with 44 percent of the vote compared to Hynes' 40 percent, within the 4 percent point error margin. The poll surveyed 601 likely Democratic voters, with 13 percent clocking in undecided.
The controversy over an prison early release program and issues with the budget were listed as big reasons for Hynes's surge, the Tribune reported.
Poll respondents reportedly stated concerns about Quinn's ability to handle the job.
A poll among likely Republican voters showed a tight race between state GOP Chairman Andy McKenna, former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and state Sen. Kirk Dillard, with none garnering 20 percent of the vote.
Illinois voters head to the polls on Feb. 2.
