Republicans blew the 2022 election. That’s good for America.

Being a lifelong Philadelphia sports fan has prepared me for being politically allied with Republicans — endlessly coping with disappointment.

2022 delivered once again.

If my kids thought having two beloved Philadelphia sports teams lose a championship in one night was bad, just wait until they’re old enough to learn that about a week later, the Republicans shockingly lost the majority of Pennsylvania state House seats.

Despite a looming recession, hellacious fallout for our children from the COVID-19 shutdowns, skyrocketing crime, and zero solutions put forward by Democrats, Republicans lost in many races they should have won.

In the Pa. gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, the Republican bench lacked depth and produced deeply flawed candidates. Doug Mastriano was unable to articulate a unifying vision and was overly focused on the past, a direction none of us are interested in moving.

Mehmet Oz projected congeniality and solutions-oriented ideas — but he was from New Jersey.

In 2009, Pew Research Center called Pennsylvania one of America’s most “sticky” states — meaning most of us who were born here still live here. Flawed as Fetterman was, he was a native son, and in this commonwealth, that matters.

But more damning is the Pennsylvania Republicans who failed to articulate policy solutions that yield prosperity. Visionary leadership matters more than raging against the Democrats. If you have two parties who lack vision and solutions and one is already in power, it makes sense voters would stick with the one they know.

This loss should be constructive to Republicans, not only in building a better bench of potential candidates, but also in remembering that good policy — well-articulated — makes for good politics.

Good policy — well articulated — makes for good politics.

Look at the Republican wins in places like Florida and Virginia. Glenn Youngkin took the Virginia governor’s mansion in 2021, running on a comprehensive platform of expanding educational opportunity for children and empowering families economically. Youngkin admirably challenged Democrats, won over Republicans loyal to President Trump, and ran a solutions-focused campaign — winning a state that went for Biden in 2020.

This year, there was no greater triumph than in Florida, where Ron DeSantis led his party to big margin wins. DeSantis kept Florida open during COVID-19, kept the kids in school, and kept taxes low. In a move that made fiscal hawks everywhere swoon, DeSantis even slashed his own party’s budget, cutting GOP priorities because the Republican-led Florida legislature was spending too much.

This wasn’t showmanship — it was governing by good economic policy. It gave people a reason to trust their governor, and voters rewarded him.

The way I see it, DeSantis also knocked former President Donald Trump out of the running as leader of the Republican Party. Trump’s supporters deserve respect — and a better leader. DeSantis proved he can deliver. Sure, the former president announced he’s running for the White House again, but from my vantage point, the party is shifting from Mar-a-Lago to the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.

Here in Pennsylvania — where, as of Friday, Democrats hold the Pa. House by one vote — we should remember that a divided government can be highly constructive. First, divided governments tend to spend less of our money. A 2010 study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University revealed that when one party controls both chambers of Congress and the White House, spending goes through the roof.

Most importantly, a divided government can help us come together by forcing Democrats and Republicans to advance good policy — if only to move forward their own agenda.

Republicans must be vigilant advocates for policies that will benefit all Pennsylvanians — especially on expanding educational opportunity for kids, lowering crime, and reducing spending — but voters have shown they want them to do it with a modicum of grace and magnanimity towards Democrats.

If I were a lawmaker, my goal would be to win over the other side — not marginalize them. DeSantis and Youngkin showed that challenging progressive ideas while bringing along Democratic voters is possible.

According to a 2021 YouGov poll, two-thirds of Americans want Congress to compromise to get things done. A more recent poll conducted by the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service found similar results: A majority of voters want candidates who are willing to compromise and show civility.

Compromise can lead to poor outcomes, but Pennsylvania Republicans have had success in bringing over Democrats to conservative ideas. Just this year, the Pa. House took a bipartisan vote to advance Lifeline Scholarships for kids in failing schools. And lawmakers took a bipartisan vote to finally reduce our state’s odious business tax. These types of actions create policies that improve lives.

Voters didn’t outright reject the conservative platform, nor did they admonish the progressive one. But they did send a strong message about the policies and behavior they want from their politicians.

Let’s hope Republicans here at home get the message and act like the leaders we want and deserve.