Trump Shown Surging in Several Polls

(CN) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is surging in a number of polls released Wednesday, besting Democratic Hillary Clinton by 5 points nationally, and by 5 to as much as 12 points in Ohio, Kansas and one of two congressional districts in Maine.

The latest USC Dornsife/L.A. Times Presidential Election Daybreak Poll now has the GOP standard-bearer leading Clinton by 5 points, garnering the support of 46.7 percent of survey participants compared to Clinton's 42 percent.

The poll is tracking the presidential preferences of about 3,000 eligible voters until election day. Wednesday's poll found Trump with an uptick in support among voters in two age groups, 16-34 (where he now holds a 45.7 percent advantage to Clinton's 39.4 percent), and 35-64 (where he leads 46.1 percent to 42.6 percent).

Trump has consistently held the advantage with voters 65 or older, the USC/L.A. Times polls says.

Trump also saw a significant improvement in his support among those earning more than $75,000 a year. The category has been a volatile one since the poll commenced on Nov. 8, 2015, but currently shows Trump with a 49.2 percent to 40.6 percent lead.

Perhaps more concerning for Clinton is the results of the latest Bloomberg Politics Ohio Poll, which finds Trump rolling in the Buckeye state, and now leading Clinton by 5 points.

The poll shows that in a two-person race, if the election were held today, Trump would have the support of 48 percent of survey respondents, while Clinton could count on 43 percent of respondents.

In a four-person race, including Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party Candidate Jill Stein, Trump still leads by five points, with 44 percent compared to Clinton's 39 percent, Johnson's 10 percent and Stein's 3 percent.

Of those who said they're inclined to vote for Trump. 49 percent said they would do so because they actually prefer him as a candidate, while 45 percent said they would cast a vote for him as a vote against Clinton.

The latest Boston Globe poll focusing on a key congressional district in Maine, shows Trump up by 10 percentage points in a four-way race with Clinton, Johnson and Stein.

While some might be tempted to dismiss the results because they are so localized, it should be noted that Maine is one of only two states that allocates its electoral votes by Congressional District. (Nebraska is the other.)

Trump's lead is the Maine's more conservative Second Congressional District; an Emerson College poll released last week found that Clinton has a comfortable lead in the state's more liberal First Congressional District.

The Emerson poll also found that while it is entirely possible that Clinton will sweep the Northeast when votes are cast 55 days from now, she currently faces tight races in New Jersey, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Trump's biggest lead in polls released Wednesday morning is in Kansas, where the latest KSN News Wichita/Survey USA poll finds him with a 12 point lead.

A month ago, the same poll had Trump leading Clinton in Kansas by 5 points, but 60 percent of those who said they supported the billionaire real estate developer and reality television star said they were voting for him as a vote "against Clinton."

Only 39 percent of Trump supporters in that earlier poll said they actually preferred him as a candidate.

Today, the tide has turned, new KSN polling shows.

This week, 57 percent of those who say they support Trump maintain they are voting for him, rather than against Clinton.

The pollster characterized the shift as a "a complete transformation."

Incidentally, as of Wednesday, only 38 percent of Kansan Trump supporters say they will cast their vote as a vote against the Democrat.

The pollster found Trump leads by 23 points in rural Kansas and by 7 points in suburban Kansas. Trump leads by 21 points in the Greater Wichita area, which includes Sedgwick and 63 surrounding counties. Trump and Clinton run even in Greater Topeka, which includes Shawnee and 30 surrounding counties. Trump leads by 7 points among suburban men and by 6 points among suburban women. There is no Gender Gap in Kansas.

Clinton leads by 23 points among Independent men and by 9 points among Independent women. Voters focused on immigration and terrorism vote overwhelmingly for Trump. Voters focused on education vote overwhelmingly for Clinton. Voters focused on the economy split. Trump leads by 23 points in military households, the survey said.

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