WBBM Newsradio political reporter Craig Dellimore looks back at his career before retiring this month
For over four decades, WBBM Newsradio political reporter Craig Dellimore covered the news of Chicago, with a good chunk of that time being from his desk at City Hall.
Dellimore's voice is familiar to many who drive or take the train to work. He started at Newsradio in 1983, back when WBBM Newsradio was upstairs from Channel 2 at the old CBS Chicago broadcast center at 630 N. McClurg Ct. in Streeterville.
Dellimore became political editor at WBBM Newsradio in 2001 — succeeding the legendary Bob Crawford, who had held the post since the station went all-news in 1968. As political editor, Dellimore covered numerous campaigns, controversies, and national political conventions, hosted the "At Issue" public affairs show.
Beyond politics, Dellimore also covered the tragic crash of American Eagle Flight 4184 in Roselawn, Indiana on a blustery Halloween in 1994, and a west suburban woman's long and ultimately successful quest from a lung transplant.
Dellimore is retiring this month.
During his 42-year career, he said the one story that crystallized Chicago's politics is former Mayor Harold Washington's candidacy the same year Dellimore started at WBBM Newsradio.
"Washington was becoming a serious candidate for mayor, and I got to see the rise," he said, "and I wasn't a political reporter then, but any reporter got to see the rise of the first African American mayor."
Dellimore also noted that he got to cover the rise of Barack Obama from Illinois state senator and University of Chicago Law School lecturer to U.S. Senator — and ultimately to president in 2008, "every step of the way through different elections."
"That has been a real excitement in this career," he said.
Dellimore also expressed his thoughts on watching how the Chicago City Council evolved over the years.
"It wasn't just the Council Wars, it's been a real change to see a City Council that at times has been accused of being a rubber stamp, become a deliberative body, to get to know the aldermen. This is a very different city from a lot where you don't really know your City Council members. Here, they have real power, and it's been fun to cover that," he said.
Another thing Dellimore noticed during his career was the change in news media, and in particular the coverage of Chicago politics.
"At one point, it was burgeoning. The City Hall press room was packed with people," he said. "Now there aren't that many of us, but it's a tight-knit group."
Dellimore did not say what he plans to do during his retirement, but said he is planning for a lot of good things.
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