Connecticut Senator Hospitalized After Stroke

Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut is in the hospital recovering from a stroke.

Murphy, 53, began feeling numbness in his arm on Sunday afternoon. He was at his son’s hockey game when the symptoms started. Staff took him to a local hospital for evaluation. Doctors confirmed he had suffered a stroke. He was then transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital for further monitoring.

Allison Herwitt, Murphy’s chief of staff, issued a statement on Sunday regarding his condition. She said the senator is responding well to treatment. Herwitt added that Murphy is expected to make a full recovery. The statement noted that he is currently under observation at the Baltimore facility.

Murphy has been a visible presence in national politics this year. He served as a campaign surrogate for Democratic candidates during the midterm cycle. He recently finished a tour of the Middle East. Prior to his illness, he warned that President Trump might escalate military action against Iran after the midterm elections.

His stroke marks another major health issue for a sitting member of Congress this year. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky missed several months of Senate work for hospitalization and rehabilitation. Representative Tom Kean of New Jersey was absent from the Capitol for months while receiving treatment for depression.

In 2022, three other Democratic lawmakers were hospitalized for strokes. Those individuals included Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.