Democrats hold 17-point lead against Republicans ahead of November midterms in latest poll

Democrats hold a 17-point edge against Republicans ahead of the November midterm elections, according to a new poll.

The generic ballot survey, conducted by USC Dornsife and The Los Angeles Times, showed an apparent surge in energy among Democratic voters amid several contentious news cycles.

According to the survey, 57 per cent of likely voters said they plan to support Democrats in the upcoming elections, compared to 40 per cent of respondents who said they will vote for Republicans.

With just eight days until the historic elections, Democrats appear to hold a significant lead over the Republican party, which currently maintains a majority of power in both the House and US Senate.

The poll of just under 4,000 people was conducted from 21 October to 27 October. Just last week, a separate Los Angeles Times poll showed Democrats with a 13-point edge over Republicans.

It has been a chaotic two weeks for national news, however, including a string of explosive devices stirring international headlines after being sent to former first families, prominent Democrats and a major news network, as well as a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue that left 11 victims killed.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has caused controversy by his response to the developments, refusing to call the targeted recipients of the bombs, including the Obamas and the Clintons.

He also suggested the killings of numerous Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday may not have occurred had there been an armed security guard present.

“If there were an armed guard inside the temple, they would have been able to stop them,” the president suggested. “Maybe there would have been nobody killed except for him, frankly.”

Mr Trump has repeatedly suggested he is on the ballot come November, and embarked on a nationwide campaign tour supporting conservative Republicans in apparent battleground state

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FiveThiryEight showed Democrats leading Republicans on the generic ballot by over eight per cent, with more than 50 per cent of respondents in an average of polls saying they will support Democratic candidates, compared to 42 per cent who plan to vote for Republicans.

However, with eight days left until the historic elections — and an infinite number of news cycles that may occur until then — the November midterms could still be anyone’s game.