Arizona Democrat Rep. Raúl Grijalva announced last week that he had cancer but vowed that he would remain in office while undergoing treatment, the Associated Press reported.
Grijalva said in an April 2 statement that he went to the doctor following a “persistent cough” that had initially been diagnosed as pneumonia. After undergoing additional testing and scans, his physician determined that the 76-year-old congressman had cancer.
Grijalva, the dean of the Arizona congressional delegation, said while the diagnosis had been “difficult to process,” he was confident in the course of treatment his medical team developed.
The congressman did not specify which type of cancer he had and his office said there would be no additional information on his diagnosis at this time.
The 11-term congressman who first took office in 2003 said he was working on getting healthy and planned to return to Washington once he is able. Grijalva is still seeking reelection in November.
Ruben Reyes, the congressman’s Southern Arizona district director, said he did not believe Grijalva’s cancer treatment would affect his ability to continue representing the people of his district which district spans the majority of the Arizona border with Mexico, including sections of Maricopa, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Cochise, and Yuma Counties.
In his statement, the congressman said while he was undergoing treatment, his office would remain open and the services provided to his constituents would “continue uninterrupted.” Grijalva said he continues to remain in regular contact with his staff.
Grijalva is the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee.
In late 2022, Maryland Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin announced that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma and would begin a course of chemotherapy. Like Grijalva, Raskin said he would continue to serve in the House while undergoing treatment.
Raskin announced last August that his cancer was in remission and no discernible cancer cells had been detected.