Common sense won elections nationwide — pointing the way to GOP rebirth

Instead of licking their wounds from Tuesday’s midterm shellacking at the polls, Republicans should examine their wins — and duplicate them nationwide.

Yes, their wins.

The “blue-nami” battered GOP candidates, but not commonsense GOP ideas.

Americans approved election safeguards, tougher criminal penalties, tax restraints and protections for girls’ sports — even in Democratic strongholds.

These ballot measures succeeded even in cobalt-blue areas where socialists celebrated sweeping victories.

That gives Republicans a recipe for rebuilding, via relentless focus on agenda items that can attract support beyond party boundaries.

In many states, citizens themselves can qualify proposals by gathering enough valid signatures — giving commonsense voters a way around opposition politicians who refuse to act on their demands.

Start with election integrity: Eight states approved voter-ID or citizen-only voting measures Tuesday.

Ohio elected Democrat Amy Acton governor and returned Sherrod Brown to the Senate, but also voted for a constitutional voter-ID requirement with approximately 65% support.

North Carolina sent Democrat Roy Cooper to the Senate, even as 60% of its voters endorsed expanded voter-ID requirements.

Nevada approved its constitutional voter-ID amendment for the second time, while Democrats won the governorship.

Citizen-only voting measures passed in Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota and West Virginia, where support approached 80%.

Election integrity is one of many 80/20 issues that resonate with voters far beyond the Republicans’ base.

Public-safety proposals produced more center-right victories.

Colorado approved life without parole for trafficking children for sexual servitude.

Indiana, Louisiana and Tennessee voted to enact stronger bail restrictions, with Tennessee’s measure garnering 67% approval.

Protecting our children from predators and our neighborhoods from dangerous criminals resonates with Democrats and independents, not just Republicans.

Taxpayers also secured meaningful wins.

Florida approved a major property-tax reduction with about 62% of the vote, exceeding its 60% constitutional threshold.

Tennessee prohibited state property taxes; North Carolina approved a lower constitutional income-tax ceiling and limits on property-tax growth.

Even on the far-left coast, a billionaire tax is losing in California.

Winning ballot measures offer the GOP an organizational lesson.

Clear proposals give volunteers concrete goals and voters direct decisions.

State by state, Republicans should cultivate the parents, taxpayers, religious groups and community advocates who can build campaigns around the initiatives they care about — and then work to keep them involved beyond Election Day.

That brings us to the girls voters chose to protect.

Arizona voters approved a measure that will keep boys out of girls’ sports and locker rooms — taking the matter into their own hands after Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed similar legislation three years running.

Nebraskans placed protections for girls’ and women’s sports directly into their constitution, prohibiting male participation on female school and college teams.

Colorado’s proposal requiring school and college teams to respect biological sex is leading, alongside a separate restriction on sex-altering surgeries for minors.

Washington state, which has surfed blue waves for decades, approved an initiative barring males from girls’ school sports with over 56% support — even as Democrats were on track to win a state House supermajority.

The measure won despite an extensive dirty-tricks campaign launched by its opponents: Volunteers out gathering signatures faced attacks and harassment, spurring the state to issue stern warnings against such behavior; public-sector unions funneled millions in taxpayer dollars into defeating the initiative.

And the language that appeared on the ballot, written as the law requires by the (Democratic) attorney general, was deliberately convoluted, making it harder for voters to understand what the measure would accomplish.

But those obstacles couldn’t overcome the viral visuals of the Camas High School girls who walked off their cross-country course last month — rather than compete against a boy who had switched teams just weeks before (and rocketed from 78th place to first by doing so).

Fair competition is an issue that crosses party lines, with a built-in base of parents and athletes.

When apolitical families and volunteers are motivated to organize after leftist policies directly affect them, that’s an opening for Republican outreach and dialogue.

The voters who supported these measures are potential GOP allies — and Republicans should keep showing up, earn their trust and give them candidates who will turn those policy victories into lasting results.

Tuesday showed that traditionally conservative causes can win across party lines, even in the midst of a Republican wipeout.

These measures can advance commonsense goals while forming a foundation for the party’s renaissance and renewal — one district, one county, one state, one issue at a time.

Ari Hoffman hosts “The Ari Hoffman Show” on Seattle’s Talk Radio 570 KVI and is the Post Millennial’s West Coast editor.

The post Common sense won elections nationwide — pointing the way to GOP rebirth appeared first on New York Post.