It is the day after the election. I love this stuff. Win or lose, it is the days and nights surrounding an election that are electric. Just two short years ago I stayed up all night watching the looks of disbelief on all of the news casters who thought they knew better. It was great.

So, do you have any fingernails left?

This election had a little bit for everyone. There were young candidates coming out for their first race. There were old candidates who had been in this rodeo before. There were text messages, push polls, robocalls, campaign ads, mudslinging, social media posts and finger pointing galore. There were challengers staking claim to their ideas and incumbents who ran away from their records. There were yard signs that were as plentiful as the bumper crop of squirrels that run across the roadways.

This election also brought about a whole new world of “strategery” in the voting booth. With the use of rank choice voting not only did the ballot look more like a bingo card than we were ever used to, but it brought about a new sense of stress as most of us went to bed last night not knowing who had won or how many rounds it will take to finally declare a winner in some races.

Who ever comes out on top in those races must face the reality of governing in 2018. The reality is that they are inheriting a booming economy. Both nationally and at the state level there has rarely been a better economy than the one we are experiencing now.

Businesses are growing and bringing on new employees. Nationally the unemployment rate is at about 4.2 percent. In Maine, we are doing better as our unemployment rate is at roughly 3.3 percent. Judging by the sheer number of help wanted signs we are at full employment, if a Mainer wants a job in 2018, they can get one.

Cumberland and Sagadahoc Counties are at the apex of the unemployment rate game. Cumberland County recently had a rate of 2.5 percent. As great a number as that is, they were bested by Sagadahoc’s rate of 2.4 percent, according to numbers provided by the state. There have even been stories lately where construction projects and project plans have to be delayed or the cost has increased because the number of workers needed outpaces available stocks of staff. Amazing.

The people who take over the government and lead us come December and January would do well to realize that our economy is churning along like we have not seen in decades. It is important to not do anything that will ruin that. We are finally in a good spot, let’s keep that going.

If you thought that the lead up to this election was long and labored just think, it is only 728 days until election day, Nov. 3. As Bill Belichick might say, “We’re on to 2020.”

Jonathan Crimmins can be reached at j_crimmins@hotmail.com.