Republican Auditor Robert Kane, 53, was found dead in his Watertown home Friday.
The Watertown Police said there does not appear to be any suspicious circumstances and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will do an investigation.
Kane, the father of two, and a beloved public servant was a state senator for eight years before getting appointed to the position of Republican auditor. Kane was the Republican who helped oversee the Office of the Auditors of Public Accounts, which audits state agencies and makes sure they are spending taxpayer dollars properly.
As a state Senator he served on the Appropriations Committee and before becoming an auditor in 2017 he owned KarTele Cellular in Waterbury for 23 years.
His friends and colleagues were stunned to learn of his sudden death and expressed their sympathies.
“Our hearts are filled with grief. Rob Kane was a champion for the people of Connecticut. As a state senator, he served the people of the 32nd District with skill, style and compassion,” Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly said. “Rob loved Connecticut, he loved public service, and he took great pride in helping people in need. He also loved his family and his children very much. We in the state senate were proud to call him our friend and colleague.”
Kane always seemed to have a smile on his face.
“We will miss his smile, his laugh, and his positive presence at the State Capitol. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rob’s family during this incredibly painful time,” Kelly added.
Democrats who often sparred with Kane, a conservative, also expressed their sympathies.
“He was a conscientious public servant in his near decade-long tenure as a legislator who always advocated for what he believed to be in the interests of his constituents and the state,” Senate President Martin Looney said in a statement.
Gov. Ned Lamont tweeted that ”All public servants should be commended for their work on behalf of our residents, and Rob took his work seriously. He will be missed at the Capitol.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted that “Rob was a friend. He and I battled – in the State Senate and in many elections. He was a strong conservative. But friendships and finding common ground meant more to Rob than partisanship. I miss him already.”
