Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday he has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a form of cancer.
“A few days ago I was diagnosed with cancer,” the first-term Republican governor said Monday. “The truth is I’ve learned over the last few days that this cancer is very advanced and very aggressive.”
Hogan canceled multiple events recently, after he returned from a trip to Asia.
Hogan said he would not step down. He will begin receiving chemotherapy treatments “but I won’t stop working,” he said.
The announcement likely means an increased role for Maryland’s lieutenant governor, Boyd Rutherford, also a Republican.
RELATED: Haley calls for removal of Confederate flag
Hogan was welcomed into the governor’s reception room at the Maryland Statehouse on Monday with standing applause.
Hogan rose to national prominence during his handling of the Freddie Gray riots in Baltimore this past spring. Hogan surprised political observers last November when he easily defeated Democrat Anthony Brown to retake the governor’s office for Republicans.
“The odds I have of beating this are much, much better than the odds I had of beating Anthony Brown,” he said, to laughter and applause from the room.
Throughout his 20-minute news conference, Hogan delivered a detailed assessment of his condition from the multiple small tumors doctors discovered through his core to the aggressive treatment plan he has set with doctors.
He was optimistic Monday, as he stood with family, and said his doctors have laid out an 18-week chemotherapy plan that begins immediately.
“They also tell me its gonna beat the hell out of me,” Hogan said. “Honestly, they say ‘You’re gonna go through hell and back again, but you’re gonna love it when you get back.’”