The Republican victories were resounding and unmistakable — so decisive that Donald Trump’s win was projected in less than 12 hours after the polls closed. While it appears Republicans will control both chambers of Congress and the presidency, it would be foolish to believe voters have given us an unquestioned mandate.

When all the votes are counted, Trump’s 2024 popular vote will be roughly the same as it was in 2020 — around 74 million. Vice President Kamala Harris, however, will receive more than 10 million fewer votes than Joe Biden did in 2020.

Democrat election autopsies will inevitably point to a short cycle of 107 days and argue that sexism or racism may have played a part in her loss. Some will point to the “blue wall” crumbling after years of taking Black and Hispanic voters for granted, neglecting the working class and ignoring rural America. Others will assert that although Harris attempted to address the fractures, she struggled to balance these interests with the demands of the more radical wing of the Democratic Party.

After all the finger-pointing and excuses, Democrats can’t escape the simple fact that Harris was just a bad candidate who had a Biden problem. Voters were angry with the direction of the country, felt that they were worse off than they were four years ago and blamed the Biden. Harris avoided taking clear stances on issues, failed to explain her shifts in positions and did not offer voters a clear vision of what she would do differently. In the end, voters knew exactly what they would get with Trump and were simply not ready to gamble on the uncertainty of a Harris presidency.

It was a repudiation, not a mandate.

Now that the election is over, it’s time to govern. Voters gave Republicans a second chance, so let’s prove to the American people that we deserve to be in power.

Let’s seize this opportunity to address America’s challenges. Let’s have a robust, healthy debate on the issues, find common ground and pass meaningful conservative legislation that might actually solve problems.

Let’s make government work again by reigning in the executive branch. Unbridled power — even if we agree on the outcome — will ultimately destroy our country. The Founding Fathers created a government with three separate, but equal branches to ensure power rests in the hands of the people — not the presidency. Although Republicans in Congress may share Trump’s priorities, the responsibility to make laws rests with them. Executive actions should be used sparingly. How we do things in America is equally as important as what we do. After all, we can’t save our country if we disregard the Constitution in the process.

Let’s embrace this moment to move forward, leaving behind retribution and petty grievances. Nikki Haley, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are committed conservatives who have spent decades defending our Constitution, safeguarding our liberties and upholding the rights of every American. It is not only their right but their duty to hold our leaders accountable, including President Trump, to voice disagreements on policies and actions, and to challenge issues that impact us all. This doesn’t make them enemies — it makes them true Americans.

Let’s build a broader, stronger Republican coalition. While machismo might win today, it’s a horrible and destructive strategy. We will never secure lasting majorities when 53% of women feel they cannot support the Republican candidate for President. It’s time to end divisive rhetoric and the “war on women.” Let’s become a party diverse enough to embrace a wide range of perspectives and big enough to open its doors to everyone who believes in freedom and the unlimited potential of America.

Let’s prove that our victory was not just a repudiation of Biden and Harris. Instead of becoming what the left fears, let’s return to being the Republican Party that embraces the Constitution and champions opportunity — that should be the heartbeat of how we Make America Great Again.

(Matt Wylie is a South Carolina-based Republican political strategist and analyst with more than 25 years of experience working on federal, state and local campaigns.)