Election Day has come and gone, and the people have spoken, both locally and nationally.  The results were very close in many races and indicate that voters still have different ideas about many issues facing our country. 

But the overwhelming feeling I had after the election was, if I’m being honest, relief. 

There were gracious concession speeches being given by both Republican and Democrat office seekers who didn’t win, and that was certainly a change for the better and a sign that we are moving away from the hate and acrimony that has marked recent politics.  

Courteous acceptance of the result when one loses is something we teach our children. After every baseball, basketball, and soccer game, team players are expected to congratulate the winners. No sore losers. 

But with the horrible example of a certain national candidate who declared that if he didn’t win, it wasn’t fair, it seemed that the national mood soured and became one of grievance. When all his attempts to overturn the election were found wanting, his bullying and scheming continued and ended with an insurrection that embarrassed our nation around the world. 

The griping and false claims never ended, but it seems that most Americans would like to move on and return to some sense of normalcy. By and large, the election deniers were unsuccessful in this election.  Thank goodness. Our elections remain free and secure, and we can accept the results, whether our side has more votes or not. 

This return to normalcy was also evident in the thoughtful concession speeches coming from both Democrats and Republicans. 

Tim Ryan, a House Democrat who lost the Ohio Senate race to J.D. Vance, said, “I had the privilege to concede this race to J.D. Vance. Because the way this country operates is that you lose an election, you concede. You respect the will of the people. We can’t have a system where if you win, it’s a legitimate election, and if you lose, someone stole it. That is not how we can move forward in the United States.” 

Mehmet Oz, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in Pennsylvania, did not challenge his loss, but called winner John Fetterman to concede. He said in a statement, “We are facing big problems as a country, and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done. With bold leadership that brings people together, we can create real change.” 

He’s not wrong. We do need to come together to face the issues that lie before us as Americans. We don’t have to agree on everything, and indeed we surely won’t, but we need to recognize that the things that unite us are greater than our differences. 

 I pray that we are ready as a nation to move on from the divisiveness and hatred that has marked our politics lately and work together to make our nation better for all. I’m feeling relieved at the return of normalcy into our political life. No more sore losers, please.

Excelsior.