Senator Chris Murphy hospitalized after stroke during hockey game

Senator Chris Murphy was hospitalized on Saturday after suffering a stroke, according to a statement from his office released Sunday. Murphy, a 53 year old Democrat from Connecticut, is currently receiving care at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Allison Herwitt, Murphy’s chief of staff, detailed the sequence of events in the statement. She said Murphy began to feel numbness in his arm while watching his son play hockey on Saturday. Staff transported him to a local hospital, where medical personnel diagnosed the stroke. He was then transferred to Johns Hopkins for more extensive monitoring.

Herwitt reported that Murphy is awake and alert. The staff expressed optimism that he will make a full recovery. She noted that doctors are satisfied with his current progress and that he is responding well to treatment.

Murphy has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2006 and in the U.S. Senate since 2012. He is not on the ballot for the midterm elections scheduled for Tuesday. In the Senate, he sits on the Appropriations Committee and has spoken frequently on immigration and gun control issues. He is often mentioned as a potential candidate for higher leadership roles in the chamber and is considered a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

This event follows recent strokes suffered by three other Democratic senators. Senators Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland both experienced strokes in 2022 and have since recovered. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania suffered a stroke while campaigning for his seat in 2022. Fetterman now uses adaptive technology in the Senate, including real time captions on a mobile device to assist with conversation.

Fetterman took to social media on Sunday to offer support, stating his family is helping Murphy and his family recover quickly. Several Republican senators, including Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, also sent their well wishes. President Donald Trump said he was really surprised by the news and noted that no one wants to experience such an event.

Murphy had been traveling the country to support Democratic candidates in the House and Senate races. On Friday, he reported campaigning in his home state for Governor Ned Lamont. Last week, he was in Minnesota campaigning with Vice Governor Peggy Flanagan, the Democratic Senate candidate. Before these trips, Murphy completed a trip to the Middle East in early October and finished an annual walk across Connecticut in September.