The confirmation Wednesday of Gov. Sam Brownback as the next U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom was good for Brownback, good for the country and good for Kansas.

Brownback gets to pursue the next chapter in his public service career, the country gets a principled ambassador with a long track record of supporting religious freedom and Kansas gets the opportunity to start fresh with much-needed new leadership.

Brownback’s confirmation came later than it should have, and he needed Vice President Mike Pence to cast the deciding ballot in a 50-49 vote. Democrats opposed Brownback amid questions about his stances on religious tolerance and LGBT issues. But Kansas Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, both Republicans, backed Brownback and issued statements of support for the governor.

“Sam Brownback has always been called to fight for those of all faiths,” Roberts said. “I am glad he now has the opportunity to lead our nation’s efforts in promoting religious tolerance and fighting against religious (persecution) and discrimination. His personal and professional commitment to fighting for religious freedom will make him an excellent ambassador.”

Brownback’s controversial tenure as governor collapsed last year when the Legislature, dominated by his own party, reversed the trickle-down tax policies Brownback championed and pushed through the Legislature in 2012. Those tax policies nearly bankrupted the state, but Brownback never wavered in his support of them.

It’s easy to dismiss Brownback’s tenure as a failure now, but that view is shortsighted. Brownback won election in 2010 with 63 percent of the vote after laying out his plan for a bold economic experiment in Kansas. He built a powerfully strong conservative coalition to support that experiment by reshaping the state’s tax policies. And given the opportunity to reverse course in 2014, Kansans sent Brownback back to Topeka, choosing him over Lawrence’s Paul Davis.

Ultimately, Brownback’s grand experiment collapsed under the weight of tepid economic growth, continual shortfalls in state revenues and deep cuts in state spending. Brownback will depart as one of the most unpopular governors in the country.

For that reason, Brownback’s confirmation as ambassador comes none too soon. He will resign as governor on Wednesday, already a month into the 2018 legislative session. He is turning over leadership of the state to Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, who gets the chance to prove he can lead the state and perhaps emerge from a crowded field of Republicans seeking the nomination for governor.

The Senate confirmation and pending resignation represent the dawn of a new era, for Brownback and for Kansas. May both look forward, not back.