Senator Chris Murphy remains awake and alert after being hospitalized for a stroke, his office confirmed. The Connecticut Democrat experienced the medical emergency while attending his son’s hockey game on Saturday.
Chris Murphy is ‘awake and alert’ after suffering from a stroke
Murphy felt “numbness in his arm” during the game. His staff rushed him to a local hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered a stroke. Medical personnel then transferred him to Johns Hopkins for additional monitoring (via New York Times).
Allison Herwitt, Murphy’s chief of staff, released a statement updating the public on his condition. “The doctors are encouraged by his progress; he is awake and alert, and we are optimistic he will make a full recovery,” she said (via BBC).
Chris Murphy has spent recent weeks traveling the country to support Democratic candidates ahead of the midterms. He made stops in Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida. He had planned to attend events in New Hampshire on Sunday before the stroke disrupted his schedule. The senator is not seeking re-election this cycle. Political observers view him as a possible 2028 White House contender.
He joined the Senate in 2013 after serving six years in the House. Soon became a leading voice for stricter gun laws following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which happened weeks after his 2012 Senate victory.
In 2016, he held the Senate floor for nearly 15 hours to demand action on gun legislation. He has also focused on affordable health care, international human rights, and foreign policy. Murphy serves as a junior member of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s leadership team.
Murphy joins a growing list of senators who have experienced strokes while in office. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico both suffered strokes in 2022. John Fetterman experienced his stroke that same year while campaigning for the Senate.
