Gov. Larry Hogan (R., Md.) announced Monday he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer of his lymph nodes that was both "advanced" and "aggressive."
The Washington Post reported Hogan had missed many meetings and public appearances since returning home from an Asian trade mission two weeks ago, when he was unaware of his condition. Hogan said this would again require him to play the role of "underdog."
"I won't stop working to change Maryland for the better," he said. "The fact is I'm just like the more than 70,000 people diagnosed with lymphoma every single year who fight it, beat it and continue doing their jobs at the same time. With my faith, my family and my friends, I know that I won't just beat this disease, but that I'll be a better and stronger person and governor when we get to the other side of it."
Hogan said he would need to start chemotherapy almost immediately due to the cancer's advanced stage.
He also joked in his statement that he had a better chance of surviving his cancer diagnosis than he did of beating Democratic opponent Anthony Brown in the 2014 gubernatorial election. Hogan pulled off a stunning victory in the deep-blue state that went for President Obama by huge margins in 2008 and 2012.