Jewish Republican Lee Zeldin reveals he had leukemia, is now in remission

NEW YORK — US Representative Lee Zeldin reveals that he was diagnosed last November with early stage chronic myeloid leukemia but said that he responded well to treatments and is now in remission.

Zeldin, a Long Island Republican who’s running for New York governor, says that the diagnosis had no impact on his work or Army Reserve duties. The Iraq War veteran says that he suffers no side effects from treatment and that his health is now “phenomenal.”

“Over the last nine months, 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,” Zeldin says in a statement released today through his Congressional office.

Zeldin, 41, is in his fourth term representing the eastern half of Long Island, which includes sprawling suburbs, rural farms and the Hamptons. Zeldin is a supporter of former US president Donald Trump and in January, objected to Congress certifying election results showing that Joe Biden had defeated Trump.

In April, amid sexual harassment allegations that led to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, Zeldin announced that he would run for the office in next year’s election.

Zeldin’s hematologist, Dr. Jeffrey Vacirca, says that the congressman “responded extraordinarily well” to targeted therapy and “has achieved complete remission.”

“Successfully treated early chronic myeloid leukemia is now a chronic disease, which carries a normal life expectancy,” Vacirca says in a statement released through Zeldin’s office. “Congressman Zeldin is incredibly healthy, is expected to enjoy a normal life and has no evidence of disease.”