Senators rally for Chris Murphy after stroke diagnosis

Senate Majority Leader Chris Murphy is hospitalized and alert following a stroke, according to a statement released Sunday by his office. The 53 year old senator is currently undergoing treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Medical staff report that he is responding well to the care.

Allison Herwitt, Murphy’s chief of staff, detailed the events that led to his hospitalization. She said Murphy began feeling numbness in his arm while watching his son play hockey on Saturday. He was taken to a local hospital, where doctors diagnosed a stroke. His office confirmed that he was transferred to Johns Hopkins for further evaluation.

“The doctors are pleased with his progress; he is awake and alert, and we are optimistic he will make a full recovery,” Herwitt said in the statement.

Murphy is not on the ballot for the upcoming Tuesday election. He has spent the final stretch of the campaign cycle traveling across the country to support Democratic candidates. On Friday, he campaigned in his home state of Connecticut for Governor Ned Lamont. The previous week, he was in Minnesota supporting Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan.

Other lawmakers have expressed concern over Murphy’s health. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who suffered a stroke in 2022, posted on social media on Sunday that his family is supporting Murphy and his family. Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska also offered prayers for the Connecticut Democrat.

President Donald Trump said he was “really surprised” by the news. “Nobody wants that,” Trump said. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Murphy’s fellow party member, wrote in a statement that he is thinking of his “great friend and colleague” and looks forward to welcoming him back to the Senate.

Murphy serves on the Appropriations Committee and has been a prominent voice on immigration and gun control issues. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 and to the Senate in 2012. He is considered a potential candidate for higher leadership roles in the Senate and is among Democrats viewed as possible presidential contenders in 2028.