* Tina Sfondeles…

Kimberly Lightford’s vote for a white candidate for Illinois Senate president over a fellow African American politician — 11 years ago — may have helped cost her this year’s Senate president’s job on Sunday. […]

Lightford, D-Maywood, blamed former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., and his son, Emil Jones III, who is currently in the Senate, for her loss. She would have been the first female black Senate president. She thinks their opposition may stem from an 11-year old grudge.

In 2009, Lightford voted for Cullerton, the white candidate, for Senate president, over Sen. James Clayborne Jr., who is black.

Lightford claims Jones III, D-Chicago, acted as a double agent, calling what he did a personal betrayal. Lightford claimed the elder Jones, 84, also helped to steer votes away from her, a claim he denied to the Sun-Times on Sunday. […]

“I don’t know how you can come back and say I want the black support when you had that opportunity to support the black and you didn’t,” the elder Jones said.

And so now, the former African-American Senate President helps tube a female African-American candidate for Senate President for voting for the white guy years ago by helping elect another white Senate President.

This is going well.

There’s lots more, so go read the whole thing.