OK, it could have been worse. Republicans lost the special election in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District by 627 votes out of 228,378 cast in a district with 70,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans. On the other hand, Donald Trump carried the district by 20 points, and the Republican congressman who resigned last year after a sex scandal was unopposed in his last two elections.

Sure, the victorious Democrat, Conor Lamb, was from central casting. A Marine and prosecutor, handsome and likable, he said he’d never support Nancy Pelosi. He is personally pro-life, supports fracking and opposes gun control. It’s a reminder not every Democrat will admit to being part of the “resistance.”

The losing Republican, state Rep. Rick Saccone, ran a vacuous and stale race. But Republicans would be fools simply to blame the outcome on a lousy candidate and a bad campaign. Learning from this defeat is the key to preventing Speaker Pelosi’s return in 2019.