Maryland Gov. Hogan’s memoir, delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, to publish later this month

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s memoir — delayed by the coronavirus pandemic — is coming out at the end of the month.

A political memoir is often seen as a precursor to running for higher office, and the Republican governor has flirted with running for president. Others have suggested he might consider running for the U.S. Senate.

Neither Hogan’s official state office nor his political organization, An America United, made him available for interviews Tuesday morning. An America United is publicizing the book.

BenBella Books is publishing the memoir, “Still Standing: Surviving Cancer, Riots, a Global Pandemic, and the Toxic Politics that Divide America,” on July 28.

When Hogan, 64, first discussed the book publicly last fall, he denied that it was part of a checklist for raising his political profile. He told The Baltimore Sun at the time that he’d been thinking of writing a book ever since his upset victory over Democrat Anthony Brown to win the governorship in 2014.

“It’s going to be a completely open look at my whole life,” Hogan said at the time. “People are going to read it and say, ‘I did not know that about the governor.‘ Hopefully, it will be an interesting read.”

Since last fall, though, Hogan has gained more prominence nationally. As head of the National Governors Association, he has played a public role in advocating for governors as the coronavirus pandemic wiped out their states’ budgets and left them struggling to find medical supplies.

In March and April, Hogan was a frequent guest on national television, stressing the seriousness of the pandemic and pressing the White House for help. He gained attention for correcting false statements made by Republican President Donald Trump, while praising members of Trump’s team that he saw as more helpful, such as Vice President Mike Pence and health experts Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx.

However, the national spotlight on Hogan has dimmed in the last few months, as the pandemic moved from crisis mode to long-term management and attention shifted to Black Lives Matter protests and racial injustice.

The publication of Hogan’s book, initially planned for early June, was delayed as the governor dealt with the pandemic. With the delay, Hogan was able to include the pandemic in the book, as well.

In Maryland, the reaction to Hogan’s handling of the pandemic began as bipartisan praise. As the months wore on, the governor struggled with a balky unemployment system, slow rollout of aid to businesses and questions about whether 500,000 tests bought from South Korea have been used.

The book jacket promises “the inside story of an unlikely governor leading through crisis and sparking a new kind of politics.” The cover features a photo of Hogan at a podium, wearing a Maryland Army National Guard fleece jacket and a Maryland State Police baseball cap. An American flag hangs in the background.

Hogan is wrapping up his year as head of the governors assocation; Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will take over as chair during the group’s virtual meeting Aug. 5.

Hogan is in his second, four-year term as governor and term limits bar him from seeking a third in 2022. While the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Chris Van Hollen is up for election in 2022, Hogan has said he’s not interested, but that he is open to considering a run for president in 2024.

An America United, Hogan’s national political organization, is planning a splashy — albeit virtual — tour this summer to promote Hogan’s book. Virtual events are planned with prominent Republicans, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Virtual events also are planned with the American Enterprise Institute, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the Institute of Politics at Harvard University and other organizations.

Hogan wrote the book with Ellis Henican, a columnist and political commentator. Henican has co-written several books, including “Let Me Finish” with Christie, a friend and ally of Hogan’s. Henican on Tuesday declined to discuss the book.