Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy is hospitalized after suffering a stroke.
Murphy, 53, was taken to a hospital Saturday after noticing numbness in his arm while attending his son’s hockey game, his office said. After doctors confirmed he had suffered a stroke, he was transferred to Johns Hopkins Medicine for further monitoring.
Murphy’s office said Sunday that doctors were encouraged by his progress. He was awake and alert, and staff said they were optimistic he would recover fully.
Strokes can cause lasting brain damage. Nearly 800,000 people in the United States experience one each year, making stroke a leading cause of serious long-term disability.
Murphy, whose name has been mentioned as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, was due to appear at a campaign event with New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for the Senate.
In the days before his hospitalization, Murphy had been posting about President Donald Trump, expressing support for Ukraine and encouraging voters to elect Democrats. He had also claimed that Trump planned to restart the war with Iran after the election. Murphy is a gun-control advocate and has previously spoken about undocumented immigrants as people Americans care deeply about.
Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who had a stroke in May 2022, was among those wishing Murphy well. Fetterman said he understood how profoundly a stroke can affect someone’s life and that his family was hoping for a full and speedy recovery for Murphy and his family.
Murphy’s hospitalization comes months after the reported death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina from an aortic dissection, and as questions continue about the health of retiring Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell following his most recent absence.
