Jack Ciattarelli, a longtime member of the state Assembly, has throat cancer.
TRENTON -- State Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican from Somerset County who is running for New Jersey governor, disclosed Thursday he is undergoing treatment for throat cancer and will scale back his campaign schedule for the next several weeks.
But Ciattarelli said don't count him out of the Republican primary. The 55-year-old expects to return to the campaign trail in late February, he said at a press conference and in a press release.
In what is becoming a busy primary election ballot, Ciattarelli will be running against Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who is filing paperwork Thursday for a campaign. Joseph Rullo, a businessman from Ocean County who has never held elected office, was the first Republican to declare a gubernatorial campaign. Nutley Township Commissioner Steven Rogers, a retired military and law enforcement official officially declared his candidacy in December.
Republican Ciattarelli set to enter governor's race
Ciattarelli said he has undergone successful surgery following a diagnosis in October of oropharyngeal cancer, affecting the back of his throat and tonsils.
"As a husband, father of four, successful small business owner and state Assemblyman, I am accustomed to juggling a busy schedule and never skipping a beat," Ciattarelli said. "My intention was to power through these treatments without any impact on my campaign, but, as so many other New Jerseyans unfortunately know, cancer is a tough adversary."
"The good news is that after consulting with my radiation oncologist Sung Kim, MD, Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, my prognosis is excellent, and despite being forced to miss out on events later this month and early next, I expect to be getting back to full speed in the latter half of February," he continued.
"It was important to me that I be fully transparent with my health, and shoot straight with both voters and the media about my condition," he added.
Ciattarelli was a Raritan Borough councilman and then a member of the Somerset County Freeholder Board before he was elected to serve central Jersey's 16th district in the Assembly, the lower house of the state Legislature. His district includes parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties.
He announced his candidacy in September.
Ciattarelli has distanced himself from Gov. Chris Christie, whose poll ratings have sunk to their lowest levels. He has vocally opposed the 23-cent gas tax increase and the package of tax cuts attached to it, and the governor's call for a dramatic change in the way public schools are funded.
Meanwhile, Evesham Mayor Randy Brown, a Republican who is also a kicking consultant for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, announced Thursday he had decided against running for governor.
NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.