The Connecticut Democrat is awake and alert at Johns Hopkins, where doctors are monitoring his recovery, according to his office.
WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut was hospitalized after suffering a stroke Saturday and was later transferred to Johns Hopkins for further monitoring, his office said Sunday.
Murphy, 53, began experiencing numbness in his arm while attending his son’s hockey game Saturday afternoon, according to a statement from his chief of staff, Allison Herwitt. He was taken to a local hospital, where doctors determined that he had suffered a stroke. His office has not released additional details about the severity or cause of the stroke.
Herwitt said Murphy was transferred to Johns Hopkins and was responding well to treatment. She said doctors were encouraged by his progress and described the senator as awake and alert. His office said it was optimistic that Murphy would make a full recovery. No timetable for his discharge or return to Senate duties was announced Sunday.
The hospitalization interrupted a busy period for Murphy ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections. Although Murphy is not on the ballot this year, he has spent recent weeks campaigning for Democratic candidates in Connecticut and other states. He had been scheduled to campaign in New Hampshire on Sunday, according to reports from Connecticut news organizations.
Murphy is serving his third term in the U.S. Senate. He was first elected to the chamber in 2012 after serving in the U.S. House, representing Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District. Before entering Congress, he served in both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly.
Murphy has become a prominent Senate voice on gun policy, foreign affairs and other national issues. He serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and has maintained a high public profile both in Connecticut and in national Democratic politics. His recent political travel had included appearances on behalf of candidates around the country.
Connecticut officials and congressional colleagues offered public messages of support after news of the stroke became public Sunday. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut’s other U.S. senator, expressed confidence that Murphy would return to the Senate. Gov. Ned Lamont also issued a statement supporting Murphy and his family after having campaigned alongside him in Connecticut shortly before the hospitalization.
Murphy’s office had released no further medical information as of Sunday evening beyond saying that he was alert and responding well to treatment. The statement did not specify how long he would remain at Johns Hopkins or whether the stroke would affect his congressional schedule in the coming days.
For now, Murphy remains hospitalized for monitoring as doctors continue to assess his recovery. His staff has said physicians are encouraged by his progress and expect him to make a full recovery.
Author note: Last updated November 1, 2026.