Washington, D.C. ? Rep. Paul Gillmor, a Republican whose political career covered four decades, has died, party officials said.

The body of the 68-year-old congressman was found by staff members who went to his apartment Wednesday after he failed to show up for work, according to a Republican aide who spoke on condition of anonymity pending an official announcement. There was no immediate word on the cause of his death.

“Born, raised and educated in our home state of Ohio, Paul never lost sight of the reason he came to Congress – to serve this great institution and his constituents with dedication and distinction,” House Republican Leader John Boehner, also of Ohio, said in a statement.