New York Rep. Lee Zeldin was reported as having cancer, according to The New York Times' Washington correspondent Maggie Haberman.
Haberman tweeted Saturday that Rep. "ZELDIN, congressman and NY gubernatorial candidate, told Ontario County GOP dinner last night that he's been battling cancer, he confirms to me. He says he had a leukemia diagnoses last November and has been receiving treatment since soon after."
The 41-year-old congressman told Newsday that he was diagnosed and being treated for cancer. Zeldin describes the cancer as an early-stage chronic myeloid leukemia.
"Last November, I was diagnosed with early stage CML and immediately started treatment which I responded well to without side effects," Zeldin stated.
Several attendees at the Ontario County Republican Party dinner Friday night expressed remorse and surprise at the news.
Former New York Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said, "I was surprised...He brought it up toward the end of his speech ... You wouldn't know he had cancer if he didn't say it."
Andrew Solender of Forbes, quoted Zeldin as saying, "I have achieved complete remission, am expected to live a normal life, and my doctor says I currently have no evidence of this disease in my system."