Chris Murphy Health Update: Senator Released From Hospital After Stroke - Newsweek

Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has been discharged from the hospital nearly a week after suffering a stroke, his office announced Friday.

The 53-year-old will miss several weeks of Senate votes as he continues his recovery at a rehabilitation facility. He will miss at least some votes during Congress’ lame-duck session, when Republicans will retain their current majority until the newly elected Democratic-controlled Congress takes office in January. The Senate returns Monday and has roughly five weeks of work scheduled before the end of the year, including government funding and other must-pass legislation. Murphy was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and won reelection in 2018 and 2024. His current six-year term runs through January 2031, meaning his seat will next be up for election in 2030.

The senator was released from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Friday after doctors treated him for a small hemorrhagic stroke, which involves bleeding in the brain.

"I want to be direct with you, so here is my diagnosis," Murphy told Newsweek on Friday. "Last Saturday afternoon, I felt something was not right with my body and called 911 out of an abundance of caution, and I’m glad I did. I was diagnosed with a small bleed in the thalamus region of my brain."

Murphy, who had been at his son's hockey game, was rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he remained until Friday.

“The doctors are very encouraged by the progress I’ve made so far. In order to take my recovery seriously and get back to work on the quickest timeline possible, I will be spending several weeks at a rehabilitation center after being discharged from the hospital today,” Murphy explained.

Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of neurosciences critical care at Johns Hopkins Hospital, told Newsweek that Murphy had made significant progress and "at the current rate of improvement, we expect that he will make a full recovery following rehabilitation."

The senator had been expected to campaign in New Hampshire alongside Democratic Representative Chris Pappas before his hospitalization.

In the weeks leading up to the incident, Murphy had traveled across the country supporting Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections. He had also recently returned from a trip to the Middle East, where he met with regional leaders

“This has been a scary experience for me and my family, and I appreciate the continued respect for our privacy,” Murphy said.

He said he plans to remain engaged with his colleagues and staff remotely during his recovery.

"My staff continues to carry out our legislative priorities, serve constituents, and ensure the work of my office continues uninterrupted," he added.

Murphy is among several sitting senators who have experienced strokes in recent years.

Senators Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland both suffered strokes in 2022 and subsequently returned to their congressional duties. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman also experienced a stroke while campaigning for his Senate seat in 2022. He has since spoken publicly about its effects, including difficulties with speech and auditory processing.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech, Gray R. Thomas and Anthony Murray.