MARYLAND, USA — At the Maryland State House in Annapolis, there are plenty of photos on display, highlighting the memorable moments of Larry Hogan's time as governor.
However, there’s one picture that easily stands out, because Governor Hogan said it illustrates the time period in his life that changed how he would govern.
It’s a picture and guitar signed by singer Tim McGraw, prominently displayed in the governor’s office.
"I didn't know I was going to be alive, quite frankly, at the time,” Governor Hogan said.
Not even five months after taking office in 2015, the governor was diagnosed with aggressive stage 3 non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Governor Hogan said he started playing McGraw’s "Live Like You Were Dying," after leaving the doctor's office.
Coincidentally, Hogan met McGraw shortly after, at a benefit concert and told the singer his story.
"I'm very swollen from the chemo. I'm crying. People are crying. They're singing. I kind of barely make it out to my vehicle. I'm limping out of there,” Governor Hogan recalled. "His manager hands me this guitar. To Governor Hogan. Live like you were dying."
Hogan decided to stay in office, even with tensions still high in the state following the riots in Baltimore, just weeks prior.
"I was in the hospital 24 hours a day. I was running the state out of the hospital, with chemo things attached to me,” Hogan said.
The governor says his own personal health battle would prepare him for his administration’s biggest and scariest challenge, COVID-19. That challenge would consistently put Hogan at odds with leaders In Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties.
"We had a better relationship with Angela Alsobrooks in Prince George's county, she's a friend, a great leader, than we did with Marc Elrich in Montgomery County. Sometimes he was pushing back. He wanted to close all the schools and keep them closed,” Hogan said. "We thought he was going over the top."
Governor Hogan noted, COVID-19 is still a threat in the state and his administration is briefing incoming Governor Wes Moore, daily.
"We still have today, 500 people hospitalized because of COVID. We also have a really bad flu and people being hospitalized with the flu and RSV."
With weeks remaining in office, Governor Hogan said, he still wants tougher accountability standards for educators and a reduction in crime, especially in the city of Baltimore and Prince George's County. However, he looked back on his two terms with no regrets.
"Not everything is fixed or solved, but we're leaving the state in much better shape than we found it. I feel like we finished the job," Hogan said.
In response to questions about why he’s not being succeeded by a Republican governor, Hogan said of Republicans, "They didn't follow the roadmap. The Republican party today is turning off a wide swath of voters. I won suburban women, where most Republicans lose. We won the Asian and Hispanic vote and I got 30% of the Black vote. Most republicans can never do that."
When it comes to his future and a run for president, Hogan said he wants to be part of the discussion.
"I care deeply about the country. I’m a lifelong member of my party and think I’ve got something to add to the discussion to get them back on track."
Governor Hogan plans to meet with his family to get their input over the holidays. They'll be celebrating Christmas at Hogan's new home in Davidsonville, Maryland.