Sen. Chris Murphy Hospitalized After Stroke, Aides Say He Is 'Awake and Alert'
The Connecticut Democrat felt numbness in his arm at his son's hockey game and was transferred to Johns Hopkins; his office says he is responding well to treatment.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut was hospitalized Saturday after suffering a stroke, his office said Sunday, two days before the midterm elections.
"Yesterday afternoon, Senator Murphy started experiencing numbness in his arm while at his son's hockey game," Murphy's chief of staff, Allison Herwitt, said in a statement. "He was taken to a local hospital, where it was discovered he had experienced a stroke."
Herwitt said Murphy was then transferred to Johns Hopkins for further monitoring and is responding well to treatment. "The doctors are encouraged by his progress, he is awake and alert, and we are optimistic he will make a full recovery," she said.
Murphy is 53. He has represented Connecticut in the Senate since 2013 and served three terms in the House before that. He is one of the best-known Democrats in the chamber and has been viewed as a possible 2028 presidential contender. His office did not say how long he is expected to remain in the hospital, and it did not give details about the type of stroke or the lasting effects, if any.
In recent weeks Murphy has crisscrossed the country on behalf of Democrats in the midterm elections, which are set for Tuesday. Control of Congress is at stake, with Republicans holding narrow majorities in both chambers. Murphy has been a frequent presence on cable news and at campaign events, and he has used his national platform to press Democrats to adopt a more combative message against the Trump administration.
Murphy is also known for his work on gun violence prevention. He represented Newtown, Connecticut, in the House when the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting happened in 2012, and he has made gun legislation a signature issue since then, including a 15-hour filibuster in 2016 over firearm purchase laws.
Numbness or weakness in an arm, particularly on one side of the body, is one of the classic warning signs of a stroke. Doctors urge people who notice it, along with facial drooping or slurred speech, to call 911 immediately, because treatment works best in the first hours. Murphy's staff said he got to a hospital the same afternoon the symptoms began.
Murphy is not on the ballot this year. His seat is next up in 2030. His absence from the campaign trail in the final days still removes a prominent surrogate for Democratic candidates, including in battleground Senate races. CBS News reported late Sunday that Murphy was awake and recovering.
His office said it would provide updates as his condition develops.
