Just after midnight on Saturday, it became official. Roy Cooper was sworn in as the next governor of North Carolina.

The gubernatorial race was a contentious one, with merely 10,000 votes separating Cooper and former Gov. Pat McCrory. Although Cooper declared victory on election night, McCrory was not convinced. Recounts ensued, as did lawsuits over voters’ potential ineligibility and concern over ballot counting in Durham County.

At the end of it all, Cooper’s initial declaration held true, and he won the governorship. However, tensions did not die down.

A couple of weeks ago, the General Assembly voted to strip Cooper of a substantial amount of power enjoyed by governors over the course of decades, a move that included the whittling down of the number of appointees allowed under Cooper. The Senate will now also have to approve any of Cooper’s appointees.

To put it mildly, it’s a mess. But never has the need to move forward been clearer.

North Carolina has many issues in front of it: the continued sub-par state of education policies; the ongoing recovery after Hurricane Matthew, which still haunts more rural counties; and, of course, what to do about HB2.

The last thing North Carolinians need is the childish spats to continue at the helm.

Whether for or against Cooper, the voters have spoken. He is the new governor, and for better or worse, will be for the next four years.

Politicians and supporters from both parties have been guilty of undermining authority and pushing personal agendas. If North Carolina is to continue to grow and prosper, this cannot be the case.

What everyone needs is a hefty dose of respect: respect for voters’ decision, respect for the Democratic governor and respect for the GOP-led General Assembly. There will undoubtedly be more tug-of-war to come, but this tension, when handled respectfully, is the stuff of successful democracy.