MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Connecticut State Representative Quentin "Q" Williams died in a crash in Cromwell early Thursday morning, according to local officials. He was 39.
Williams represented Middletown; he was sworn in Wednesday to serve his third term representing the 100th district.
Williams, a Democrat, was the first African American to represent Middletown in the Connecticut General Assembly (CGA), according to his biography on the Connecticut House Democrats website.
In the CGA, he had served in the Commerce Committee, Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee and served as chair of the Housing Committee. According to state Sen. Julie Kushner, she and Williams had prepared to co-chair the Labor and Public Employees Committee for the 2023 legislative session.
"I can say without exaggeration that there was no ego with Quentin, that he was all about public service for the good of the people. He had a rare combination of personal warmth, trust, good nature and commitment that is going to be missed on so many levels in the legislature, both personally and professionally," Kushner said in a statement.
Before heading to the state Capitol, Williams served as the Middletown treasurer for two terms, starting in 2011.
For work, Williams served as Executive Director of the Middletown Downtown Business District, in which he launched the Middletown Restaurant Week.
Williams is considered a "champion for social and racial equality, human rights, accessible housing for all and supporting youth programs to help prepare them for successful futures."
Attorney General William Tong released a statement Thursday regarding William's passing:
“I met Q before he became a state legislator when he was an advocate for a local school in Stamford, and I can only think of one word to describe him—hopeful. Q was always brimming with optimism and possibility. He had a spirit that was relentlessly positive and aspirational. We need his light more than ever, and that’s why it is so hard to lose him. I offer my deepest condolences to his wife and his family and the community that he loved and served,” Tong said.
Sara Bronin, an architect-attorney and wife of Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, said Thursday morning she is "heartbroken" about William's death.
"I saw him yesterday after he was sworn in for his third term, & he was so excited about the upcoming session," Sara Bronin said on Twitter Thursday. "His genuine desire to improve people's lives motivated his all-too-short 39 years."
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