President Obama, Illinois politicians pay tribute to Carlos Hernandez Gomez

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: Tributes to Hernandez Gomez span White House to Statehouse : Posted by Rick Pearson and Monique Garcia at 12:45 p.m. : Tributes celebrating the life of CLTV political reporter Carlos Hernandez Gomez spanned the White House to the statehouse in Springfield today, a day after his death following a more than year-long battle with cancer at the age of 36. : “I was saddened to hear of the passing of Carlos Hernandez Gomez. Our paths first crossed when I was a State Senator. He was a throwback in the style of Chicago’s storied political reporters,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. : “He loved Chicago, and he relentlessly sought to tell its story with the commitment to truth and the insatiable curiosity that any good reporter has to have,” the president said. “I quickly learned that when you saw his sharp fedora in a crowd, hard questions were coming. But Carlos always played it straight. And I always enjoyed our interactions in Springfield, Chicago, or on the campaign trail.” : : : Obama called Hernandez Gomez “a role model to many and an integral part of the Chicago story he strived to tell.” He offered his thoughts and prayers to Hernandez Gomez’ wife, WGN-TV reporter Randi Belisomo Hernandez, and his family. : Obama, as a state senator, U.S. senator and as president, was among several politicians whom Hernandez Gomez covered in a colorful career, rat-a-tatting questions rapid fire through several campaigns and news events. : Earlier today, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, the chamber’s 2nd ranking Democrat, hailed Hernandez Gomez as a real professional whose “word’s good and they’re up on the news and they’re nice people to be with.” : “He's the kind of person that's a great credit to the profession and did a great job for people across Chicagoland and America to understand the real issues we face," Durbin said. : Gov. Pat Quinn called Hernandez Gomez “a man of great humor and commitment and dedication. So, losing Carlos is a loss for everybody in Illinois and our country." : Comptroller Dan Hynes, Quinn’s rival for next month’s Democratic nomination for governor, said Hernandez Gomez was “taken too early” and said his death was “a real loss for civic debate here in this city and state.” : Services for Hernandez Gomez, who covered politics for WBEZ-FM prior to joining CLTV, are pending.

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