Whether you agree or not, we should wish the Trump-Vance administration luck

On the way to school the day after Election Day, after handing each of our big kids $2 for a snack, our six-year-old son asked about a picture on the back of the dollar bill: a pyramid with the top floating with the eye in it. I had just explained the results of the presidential race to both of them, and he had no idea what a great question it was for today.

Annuit Coeptisa Latin motto that appears above the pyramid means that God favors our undertaking. The pyramid itself, made of 13 layers and representing the nation’s original colonies, is still unfinished. The creation of America, a nation already great, unique in the history of the world, remains unfinished. Election Day is the quintessential example of this ongoing work.

Some of you reading this are no doubt heartbroken about the results of the presidential elections. No doubt some of you are filled with hope and cheerfulness. These feelings will temper over time as the work we do every day for our families and communities continues. In the same way the work of building and maintaining this great nation continues. Choices will be made by the new government I support, and I am confident there will be choices made that I strongly disagree with. This does not mean that we should not join in wishing the Trump-Vance administration success in serving the nation.

Praying for our elected leaders

Like then going out President George H. W. Bush wrote to new President Clinton: “Your success is now our country’s success. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.” We don’t have to have voted for or support the new government to wish them well. And as a Christian, it is my duty to pray for them as the elected leaders of our government. I don’t do that consistently enough as it is.

We must trust that the other branches of government will also perform their respective constitutional functions well. Article I created Congress, whose leadership is about to change. May its members uphold the Constitution and serve well the interests of all Americans. Article II the executive branch was established. May President-elect Trump and the advisors and leaders under him lead all Americans wisely and with humility. Article III our federal courts established. May these judges be endowed with discernment and strength to render their judgments based on the law. Let’s celebrate when these branches function well, and when they inevitably don’t from time to time, let’s celebrate hold them accountable to the extent possible through the ballot box.

Stay informed, involved in local politics

In the meantime, we must do our part to stay locally informed and involved. In addition to federal elections, there are also parliamentary elections in the states were held in 44 states, covering 85 of the 99 state legislative chambers. These elections involved 5,807 of the country’s 7,386 legislative seats (about 79%), where a whole host of public policies are debated and made.

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The Kentucky General Assembly will begin its 2025 “short session” work in less than two months, where, as constitutionally required, “on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January.” Get to know your state representative and state senator, even, and perhaps especially, if you didn’t vote for them. Do your best to stay informed about their work and challenge yourself to read about it in sources outside your respective partisan echo chamber. Call, email or write them about the issues that matter to you. When it’s time to elect people again, and you know the outcome, vote accordingly. Frankfort, like everywhere else, has its share of duds. But there are many, in both parties and both chambers, who are conscientious public servants.

The work of building a stronger, more resilient, shining city on a hill continues quickly and it is up to all of us to do our part. It’s our republic, if we work to preserve it.

But in the end, regardless of who each of us voted for, we can all celebrate in unison the end of unsolicited campaign text messages, which has been around for a while now anyway.

Agree or disagree? Send a letter to the editor.

Whitney Westerfield is an evangelical Christian, three-term Republican senator and attorney from Christian County. He and his wife live in Western Kentucky and have five children.

This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Opinion: Heartbroken or happy, we should wish Trump and JD Vance luck