Today we have a new president-elect: Joe Biden. Democrats and others who voted for him have different degrees of jubilation about the win, but all appear to have an overwhelming sense of relief that the last four years of division in this country can now come to an end.

Although a lifelong Democrat, my thoughts go to those who are not Democrats yet still joined us in making the choice to change the direction that the country was heading.

It is not easy for some to vote against their party candidate. It can be heart wrenching and I get that. I have not voted a straight party ticket myself over the years and I always wished I could, but I was taught to vote for the best candidate, so I never ruled anyone out based on party but ruled them in based on their character and policy alignment. You cannot be 100% for everything anyone else believes in; there is always compromise, and the tricky part is figuring out where the compromise lies in a candidate that you can live with.

Today people decided that whatever reason they voted for Trump in 2016, it was no longer the best reason to repeat that vote in 2020. And that is what this country stands for, we course correct when we get it wrong.

So today, I am grateful that Biden won and that there were millions of others who felt the same way. I am grateful for all the Republicans and independents who made a choice based on what was best for the country and not a party. We can be united once again, if we decide that is how we want to act over the next four years.

Susan Brown

Vassalboro