The 2022 general election is over. Many folks will breath a sigh of relief at that thought, knowing that annoying campaign ads will no longer be cluttering up the airwaves and their mailboxes.

We congratulate the winners of Tuesday’s votes, and we challenge them to do two things.

First, the easy challenge, for both the election winners and losers: remove your yard signs and any other promotional materials you may have put up. The election is over, so there is no need for them to be up any more.

We challenge the winners of Tuesday’s voting to do something much more difficult than picking up the signs. We challenge them to govern in a mature, responsible way that will benefit all people.

It is time to set aside the rhetoric and come together to address the numerous challenges that face our nation, state, and county. The winners of Tuesday’s election have been entrusted with the heavy responsibility of representing the best interests of all their constituents, not just those who voted for them.

That means there is no time to be staking out extreme partisan positions to fire up various political factions. And, especially on the national level, this is no time to be launching investigation after investigation that in the end accomplish nothing and offer no benefit to our country.

Our elected leaders, those currently in office and those who will take office in January, would do well emulate the example set by President Ronald Reagan and U.S. House Speaker Thomas O’Neill. Reagan was a Republican; O’Neil was a Democrat. Their fundamental views were very different. But they always found ways to compromise and work together in a polite and sometimes rather friendly manner.

That is what Americans need today.