For Charlie Crist to have any chance at prying Florida from the iron grip of Ron DeSantis in the November gubernatorial election, he’ll have to hammer on the issue of abortion.

Certainly there are other critically important topics for the state’s leading Democrat to talk with voters about, too — affordability, for one, something Republicans have had no real impact on, despite desultory efforts in areas like homeowners’ insurance. Voters would likely leap at anyone from either side who had a solution that gives them concrete and substantial relief on the cost of living right now.

But abortion isn’t just about what Floridians want. It’s about what Floridians are losing. A woman’s right to choose, the right to personal autonomy — those are rights Republicans have taken away from women at a breathtaking clip in the past few months. And that’s likely to be highly motivating when it comes to voter turnout — often the defining factor in an election — and especially for women, many of whom have rightly felt disenfranchised by the current, anti-abortion administration.

Republicans are out of step with the majority of people in the state on abortion. Crist, as the new standard-bearer for Democrats, has to lead the charge to remind voters of that, without sidestepping or parsing words on his previous position.