Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is leading hopeful challenger Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) in a head to head gubernatorial matchup, a Progress Florida/Florida Watch survey shows.

The Hub conducted the progressive groups’ survey among 2,244 Florida registered voters from July 26- July 31, 2022. The survey was reportedly weighted “to reflect what would be the most pro-Republican electorate in recent history: with registered Republicans making up 41% of the electorate and registered Democrats 37%.” It comes at a time that Republicans enjoy an over 200,000 registered voter advantage over Democrats in the Sunshine State.

Despite the survey being taken for progressive groups, it shows DeSantis leading his potential Democrat opponents. According to the results, DeSantis leads Crist by three points — 47 percent to 44 percent. He also leads the state’s agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried by six percentage points — 49 percent to 43 percent:

The survey also found DeSantis leading a generic Democrat by five percentage points — 48 percent to 43 percent. Further, the progressive survey found the governor’s favorability above water, as 50 percent view him favorably, compared to 48 percent who do not.

It is unlikely that DeSantis will be fazed by the progressive survey, as he has made it abundantly clear throughout his time in office that he is influenced by his values — not polling. 

“And you know, responding to polls is being a follower; that’s not being a leader. A leader will set out a vision will execute on that vision. And then when the results are positive, you know what? People will be with you when you do that,” DeSantis said during a June speech to the Florida American Legion Boys State Program:

“So I could take a poll of this room on whatever issue — that’s just a static analysis that doesn’t even tell me what I need to know. What I need to know is that if I embark on an initiative and I explain what I’m doing and I’m successful in doing it, then what would the results be in the room?” he asked, adding that too many politicians “get paralyzed with these polls and they’re so concerned about every little thing in a news cycle.”

“That’s not the way I think a leader operates,” he added. “The leader needs to understand where true north is.”

The Florida primary will take place August 23, determining which Democrat will face off against DeSantis. Many surveys show Crist as the clear leader in the Democrat primary, who has attacked DeSantis’s leadership since announcing his campaign.

Crist is among those who stand as proud opponents of the Parental Rights in Education law, which bars classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade. He also made waves over the summer after telling a group of supporters that he would be “open” to forcing masks in the Sunshine State, demonstrating a starkly different approach than DeSantis’s freedom-first policies.

Monday’s RealClearPolitics average showed DeSantis leading Crist by an average of 8.8 percent.