Chris Murphy stroke recovery is underway as the Connecticut senator said Friday he has been discharged from the hospital and moved to a rehabilitation facility, where he expects to miss several weeks of Senate votes while he heals.
Murphy, 53, said doctors are encouraged by his progress and that time in rehab should return him to work on the fastest safe timeline. He said physicians diagnosed a small hemorrhagic stroke, a bleed in the brain. He called 911 on Oct. 31 after sensing something was wrong.
“This has been a scary experience for me and my family, and I appreciate the continued respect for our privacy,” Murphy said in a statement.
The update on his condition included a statement from Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of neurosciences critical care at Johns Hopkins Hospital, who said the senator has shown tremendous progress and is expected to make a full recovery after rehabilitation.
In the Senate, Murphy serves on the Appropriations Committee and is a prominent voice on immigration and gun policy. He is often mentioned for future leadership roles and is among Democrats seen as potential contenders for the 2028 presidential race.
Murphy said he remains engaged with his team and colleagues remotely, and that his staff is ensuring the office’s work continues without interruption. He also thanked the doctors and staff at Johns Hopkins for their care.
Chris Murphy stroke recovery and recent schedule
Before the stroke, Murphy had been traveling in support of House and Senate candidates as Democrats vied for congressional majorities, which the party secured in Tuesday’s midterm elections. A day before the stroke, he posted that he was campaigning in Connecticut for Gov. Ned Lamont. The week prior, he appeared in Minnesota with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the Democratic nominee for the Senate.
His campaign swing followed an early October trip to the Middle East for meetings with regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In early September, he completed his annual “walk across Connecticut,” roughly 70 miles over four days, speaking with residents along the route.
Other recent Senate stroke recoveries
Murphy is not the only Democrat in the chamber to experience a stroke in recent years. Sens. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland had strokes in 2022 and have since recovered. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who had a stroke while campaigning in 2022, now uses assistive technology in the Senate, including live captioning on a phone or tablet to transcribe conversations in real time.
After news of Murphy’s condition, Fetterman posted on social media that his family was rooting for Murphy and his family for a full and speedy recovery.
Murphy had been traveling in support of House and Senate candidates as Democrats vied for congressional majorities, which the party secured in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Fetterman’s family sharing public well-wishes underscored how other lawmakers who have experienced serious health scares remain highly visible, including as Congress weighs major policy debates around immigration, energy and democracy.
Murphy serves as a prominent voice on immigration and gun policy in the Senate, posting regularly on social media and engaging in public events even amid his recovery timeline. He remains engaged remotely with his team and colleagues to help shape the agenda he believes Democrats should advance now that they have reclaimed control, while others keep up public-facing duties like hearings, floor speeches and interviews.
