Despite the challenging political environment for Democrats going into 2010, Lori Edwards enters the election year leading the race for Florida's 12th Congressional district.

In a recent survey conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Edwards holds a 4-point edge over Republican challenger Dennis Ross, leading him 46 - 42 percent. Edwards' lead in the race is not built on her name identification advantage-among those voters who identify both Edwards and Ross, her lead grows to 9 points.

Edwards can win regardless of the political climate. She runs a net 10 percentage points ahead of a generic Democratic candidate for Congress and outperforms self-identified partisanship by a net 7 points.

Edwards begins the race with a 2.5:1 favorable to unfavorable ratio. Her standing with seniors is particularly strong, among whom she has a net 17-point favorable to unfavorable rating.

In a swing district that McCain carried by just one point, this race presents a great opportunity for a Democratic pick-up by a candidate whose profile is in sync with the district. With Lori Edwards the seat is winnable, but it will take an aggressive, well-funded campaign.

This survey of 400 likely November 2010 voters was conducted November 17 - 19, 2009 by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. The survey is subject to a margin of error of approximately +/- 4.9 percentage points. The sample reflects the demographic composition of the likely 2010 electorate in this district. Party registration is 40 percent Democratic and 41 percent Republican.