Democrats navigate bloodless Senate primary season: The Note

The TAKE with Rick Klein

With the withdrawal of Alex Lasry from the Wisconsin Senate race, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes lost his second major challenger of the week and now has a relatively clear path to the nomination, in a state that represents a key Democratic pickup opportunity.

Now, with dozens of states still to vote in primaries, almost all of the remaining drama is on the Republican side -- where it's been most of the year, anyway. Democrats have no major question marks remaining regarding their November Senate lineup and few even in House races that have long been testing progressive-v.-establishment dynamics.

"We have 90 days to make sure that we're able to focus on the general and make sure that we defeat Ron Johnson," said Lasry, who spent more than $12 million of his own on the race and was widely seen as a strong contender in the Aug. 9 primary.

Tranquil dynamics might not be that surprising considering that Democrats are trying to hold on to power, while Republicans are trying to take it back.

But considering progressive frustrations with party leadership, as well as the raw feelings after the short-circuited presidential primaries of 2020, the lack of action in those races has been notable. Early in the cycle, some were predicting even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had to be worried about a primary challenge in New York from the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

It's been a relatively bloodless primary season for Democrats in Senate races. The party rallied behind favored candidates in North Carolina and Ohio and appears poised to do the same in Wisconsin and Florida next month. The open Democratic primary in Pennsylvania wound up going to Lt. Gov. John Fetterman by more than 30 points.

It's been pretty much the opposite on the GOP side, a dynamic fueled in part by former President Donald Trump's endorsements and attacks. Republicans have already endured searing Senate primaries in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, among other states, with two more threatening to further divide the party next week, in Arizona and Missouri.

The RUNDOWN with Averi Harper

This morning, the Democratic field for Senate in Wisconsin is a little less crowded.

Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry announced the suspension of his senate bid Wednesday, calling for the party to coalesce behind Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes as they attempt to defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson.

"Every day matters, and that's why the second I realized that there was no path forward, we made sure that we did what we thought was best for us to be able to defeat Ron Johnson," Lasry told reporters in Milwaukee. "And that meant getting with, I think, the person who's best positioned to do that and has been running the best campaign in this primary and that's the lieutenant governor."

Lasry isn't the only candidate to depart the race. Tom Nelson, a county executive who campaigned as a hardline progressive, also suspended his campaign Monday. Both candidates will still appear on primary ballots in the state on Aug. 9, despite their withdrawals. Five other Democratic candidates will also appear on the ballot with Barnes, but the lieutenant governor, who has the endorsement of Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, is widely considered the front-runner.

"The progressive vote is consolidated and the progressive family is one because today, I'm endorsing Mandela Barnes for U.S. Senate," Nelson said in a Twitter video announcing the end of his campaign.

Focus in some Democratic circles has already shifted to the general election, with a focus on Johnson's ties to the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol, as the party attempts to not only flip that Senate seat but also broaden the majority in the chamber next year.

The TIP with Alisa Wiersema

A troubling national trend could be the next issue erupting on the 2022 campaign trail as administrators prepare back-to-school plans amid a widespread teacher shortage largely brought on by the COVID pandemic, low pay and difficult working conditions.

Many of the states where communities are already sounding the alarm are also political battlegrounds where culture wars over school policies and subject matter have been making headlines over the course of the last few years.

In Florida, the Department of Education recently announced that military veterans -- and in some cases, their spouses -- could be eligible to receive five-year vouchers that permit them to teach in classrooms without possessing the accreditation typically required of teachers. Although supporters of the move say it will help fill the gaps of staffing shortages, Florida teachers say the policy devalues the professional credentials and experience educators bring to classrooms.

Pennsylvania's Education Department says the situation is "an educator workforce crisis" and that "the demographics of our educator workforce have not kept pace with our changing landscape." In a recently released strategy plan aiming to address issues pertaining to the state's educator workforce, the department also expressed long-term concern for students' well-being.

"Without a significant increase in the diversity of our educator workforce, large percentages of our students will go through most if not all of their educational careers without seeing teachers, principals, and other school leaders who look like them or who have firsthand knowledge of their cultural and linguistic traditions and assets," the plan said.

And in Texas -- where communities are still reeling with school safety concerns following the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting tragedy -- a wave of teacher retirements is amplifying concerns. As reported by ABC Houston station KTRK, most teachers say their decision to leave the profession is driven by poor work and culture conditions.

NUMBER OF THE DAY, powered by FiveThirtyEight

4. That's the number of Black Republicans running in the U.S. House who are currently favored to win their races, according to FiveThirtyEight's 2022 midterm election forecast. And as FiveThirtyEight's Alex Samuels writes, if that happens, that will make for the most Black Republicans serving together in the U.S. House since 1889. Moreover, if Republican nominee Herschel Walker defeats Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia, and Sen. Tim Scott wins his reelection bid in South Carolina, there will be two Black Republicans serving in the Senate -- the most ever. Read more from Alex on why the GOP is recruiting more Black Republicans to run.

ONE MORE THING

Republican leaders who worry that Donald Trump could hurt their midterm chances by announcing a presidential run too soon are hoping he'll be dissuaded from doing so by the prospect of losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal payments, according to an RNC official. Since October 2021, the Republican National Committee has paid nearly $2 million to law firms representing Trump as part of his defense against personal litigation and government investigations. https://abcn.ws/3PW1DMw

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" Podcast. "Start Here" begins Thursday morning with Harvard economic policy professor Jason Furman, who breaks down what's next for the economy. Then, ABC News' Patrick Reevell explains the United States' offer for a historic prisoner swap: trading a Russian arms dealer for American basketball player Brittney Griner and Marine veteran Paul Whelan. And, ABC News' Katherine Faulders explains the latest on the Jan. 6 investigations. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

• President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy and meets with CEOs to receive "an update on economic conditions across key sectors and industries" at 2:15 p.m. ET.
• White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a briefing at 3:15 p.m. ET.

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The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the day's top stories in politics. Please check back Friday for the latest.