Connecticut Senator: Recovery from Stroke Continues Ahead of Senate Return

Sen. Chris Murphy is scheduled to return to Washington on Monday to join the lame-duck session of the U.S. Senate. He is continuing to recover from a stroke that occurred five days ago, according to his communications team.

The 53-year-old Democrat from Connecticut was hospitalized on Saturday, Oct. 31. He experienced numbness in his arm while watching his son’s hockey game. Medical staff at a local hospital diagnosed the stroke. Murphy was later transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Doctors there described his progress as encouraging.

Josh Sorbe, Murphy’s communications director, said the senator is making remarkable progress. Sorbe noted that Murphy is heartened by the outpouring of well wishes. He did not provide specific details about the length of the hospital stay or the exact recovery timeline. The senator’s chief of staff, Allison Herwitt, previously stated that Murphy is awake and alert. She expressed optimism that he will make a full recovery.

Murphy was not on the ballot for the midterm elections held on Tuesday. However, he served as a key campaign surrogate for Democratic candidates in Connecticut and swing states over the past month. He had planned to campaign in New Hampshire that weekend. He also intended to attend the Connecticut Democrats’ election night party in Hartford. Instead, he cast an early vote and remained in the hospital during Election Day.

Democratic lawmakers credited Murphy’s campaigning efforts as a factor in the party’s recent electoral gains. Gov. Ned Lamont won a third term in the Tuesday vote. Democrats also secured majorities in both chambers of Congress. At a post-election event in Hartford, State Comptroller Sean Scanlon praised Murphy’s long-term work. Scanlon, a former Murphy staffer, said the senator is paying attention to the results.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal addressed the crowd at the Hartford watch party on Tuesday night. He described Murphy as a great friend and colleague. Blumenthal said he looks forward to welcoming Murphy back to the Senate to continue working with him as a partner.

The Senate will convene for about five weeks of work before the new Congress takes over early next year. Murphy joins a group of recent senators who have suffered strokes. Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico recovered from a stroke in January 2022. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland was hospitalized for a minor stroke later that year. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania survived a near-fatal stroke in May 2022 while running for office.