Jul 9, 2024 - Politics & Policy

California U.S. House Democrat says he has blood cancer

Russell Contreras

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) speaks with other Co-Chairs of the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group at a news conference on US nuclear weapons strategy on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Tuesday, June 04, 2024. — U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) speaks with other Co-Chairs of the Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group at a news conference in Washington on June 04, 2024. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) announced Monday he will begin treatment for blood cancer.

The big picture: The California Democrat, 79, is the latest member of Congress to face health issues amid a re-election campaign as President Biden faces questions about his age and health.

Zoom in: Garamendi said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he recently "received the dreaded call" from a doctor that he had cancer.

"Thus began my journey with multiple myeloma," he said in a video post.
"I am thankful to have caught this early, and we are confident that I will soon be in remission," he wrote.

Context: Garamendi represents California's 8th Congressional District, which includes parts of Contra Costa and Solano counties, just north of Oakland.

He was first elected to Congress in 2009 via a special election.
Garamendi won re-election in 2022 by capturing 76% of the vote in a safe Democratic seat against Republican candidate Rudy Recile.
The two are slated for a rematch in November.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), 74, announced last month she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Jackson Lee said in a statement posted to X that she's undergoing treatment for a disease "that impacts tens of thousands of Americans every year."
She is continuing her re-election bid in a safe Democratic seat in Houston after failing to run for mayor.

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California U.S. House Democrat says he has blood cancer

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