There’s no question that labor took its hits on June 5. There’s no question that labor needs to learn profound lessons — about framing debates, choosing candidates and building broader coalitions.

But, when all was said and done, the Democrat who won a critical recall contest, the Democrat who flipped control of the state Senate from Walker’s GOP to the opposition, was a former high school history and economics teacher who for years was active in his local, state and national teacher unions.

Lehman’s a true believer in trade unionism. How true? His passions run so deep that in his previous incarnation as a legislator he was the lead sponsor of legislation to add a labor-history component to Wisconsin’s education curriculum.

Winning back the Senate is not the same as winning the governorship. Everyone knows that. But winning back the Senate with Lehman provides a fine counter to the narrative that organized labor’s days are done.

On the same day that an anti-labor governor was retained in office, and that conservative triumphalists proclaimed the fall of the House of Labor, one of the most pro-union lawmakers in Wisconsin history was returned to the Legislature and returned the Senate to Democratic control.

There’s a measure of irony in this. Healthy irony.

John Nichols is associate editor of The Capital Times. jnichols@madison.com