Roberto L. Alves, the mayor of Danbury and Democratic state chair, announced Tuesday that he has a form of blood cancer.

 “After a series of recent medical tests, I have been diagnosed with Large B-Cell Lymphoma, a serious but treatable form of cancer,” Alves said in a statement. “I have begun treatment, and I am in good hands with my team of doctors.”

The diagnosis comes in the midst of Alves’ campaign for reelection to a second two-year term as mayor of Danbury, a racially diverse city of 88,000 on the state’s southwestern border with New York.

“My prognosis is strong, and I will continue to serve Danbury as Mayor, our state as Chair of the Connecticut Democratic Party, and in all of my responsibilities, which I take very seriously,” he said in the statement. Those responsibilities include continuing his campaign, a spokeswoman said.

His statement did not disclose where or how he was being treated, nor did it state at what stage it was diagnosed. His spokeswoman later said said he will be treated with chemotherapy.

Alves, who could not be reached for comment, indicated in his statement a desire to strike a balance between transparency and privacy.

“While this is a deeply personal matter for my family and me, I believe it is important to be transparent with the community I serve,” Alves said.

Alves, 42, is a Brazilian immigrant who came to the U.S. as a child and became a U.S. citizen in 2017. 

He won a council seat in 2019, then lost a race for the open mayoral seat in 2021, when the longtime Republican mayor, Mark Boughton, did not run. Alves won his rematch with Republican Dean Esposito in 2023.

Gov. Ned Lamont named him in November 2024 as his choice to succeed Nancy DiNardo as state party chair when her term ended in January 2025.