Give new Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, some credit. He’s made a few very solid moves since Jan. 18, when he was elected to his chamber’s top job.

Harmon won a majority vote of his caucus before the full Senate voted. He had at least some support from just about every Democratic faction. Kimberly Ann Lightford is an African-American, but Harmon received several votes from people of color. Downstaters voted for both candidates, as did women. A majority of the "X Caucus," a loose confederation of more conservative members, went with Harmon, but at least four voted for Lightford. Suburbanites were split and so were Chicagoans.

With the factions all over the place, putting a deal together wasn’t easy. But after several tense and sometimes contentious hours, Harmon emerged victorious.

Hard feelings remain. Some Senators apparently just up and lied to Lightford about whom they were supporting. But Lightford will remain Majority Leader and her supporters in Senate Democratic Leadership were protected. Harmon made peace and he has time to work things out before he has to run again in less than a year.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has denied it, but people close to him were indeed working hard on Lightford’s behalf. The two men have known each other for over two decades, but Harmon endorsed then-Sen. Daniel Biss in the 2018 gubernatorial primary over Pritzker and things kinda soured after that. The two are ideologically very close, however, so they should be able to work things out. But I’d bet the Senate’s appointment confirmation process, among other things, might get just a wee bit tighter in the near term.