Controller Kevin Lembo has announced he will step down at the end of the year due to a persistent health issue. He will resign as of December 31.

Lembo’s office said he was diagnosed with severe and debilitating heart disease that had recently worsened. A statement from his office said that after repeated consultations with a team of cardiologists, it was recommended that Lembo not continue working.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of Connecticut as comptroller of the state,” Lembo said in a statement.

READ THE FULL STATEMENT HERE.

“Over ten years ago, voters tried their luck with a gay, vegetarian nerd who had never been a candidate in his life. I have worked every day since to represent this office with honesty, integrity and concern for the common good. Even now, I love the work I do and the people I work with. Unfortunately, my health just does not allow me to continue serving, ”he continued.

Lembo was previously the Connecticut healthcare advocate.

“I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together during my three terms,” ​​Lembo said in a statement. “We made Connecticut a model of open government, instituted innovative changes in the state’s health plan to cut costs while improving patient care, and drafted the plan that delivered record savings in the state’s Rainy Day Fund. While I am disappointed that I cannot complete this term, the work that has been done over the past 11 years has made Connecticut a better place to live, work and raise a family and that is why I wanted this. work in the first place. I am confident that whoever follows me in this role has all the resources in place to continue this work and build on our successes. “

“Thank you to my partner Charles, our three wonderful children, our families, the amazing staff in the Comptroller’s Office and the countless others who have made this job so rewarding and impactful,” Lembo said in a statement.

Governor Ned Lamont called Lembo a friend and a true partner in efforts to help the state.

“It is with incredible sadness that we receive this news,” Lamont said in a statement. “I can only imagine how difficult it is for Kevin to make the decision to step down from a position he loves and has campaigned for so vigorously. Throughout his public life, Kevin has been working hard. is devoted to looking out for others, and in his tenure as Comptroller, he’s committed to righting Connecticut’s fiscal ship and fighting to implement policies that tame the volatility of state revenues and bring financial stability. ”

Democratic state president Nancy DiNardo released a statement after Lembo announced her resignation.

“Kevin Lembo’s service in Connecticut has been remarkable and his resignation is a huge loss to the state. He came here from New York and joined the public service as the state’s first healthcare advocate and over the past 11 years as a controller, striving for transparency, smart budgeting and healthcare, ”DiNardo said in a statement. “Kevin is a colleague and friend and his voice will be sorely missed in the public arena. We wish him the best as he focuses on his health.”