Senator Chris Murphy discharged from hospital after stroke, heads to rehab facility

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been discharged from the hospital after suffering a stroke last weekend. He left hospital on Friday and will recover in a rehabilitation facility.

Murphy, 53, said in a statement that the stay at the rehabilitation center will get him back to work on the quickest timeline possible and that he will miss "several weeks" of votes in the Senate as he recovers.

Murphy said doctors diagnosed him with a small hemorrhagic stroke, which is a bleed in the brain. He said he called 911 on October 31 out of an abundance of caution after feeling that "something was not right" with his body.

"This has been a scary experience for me and my family, and I appreciate the continued respect for our privacy," he said. He added that doctors are "very encouraged by the progress I've made so far".

The press release updating his condition included a statement from Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of neurosciences critical care at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Suarez said the senator has shown tremendous progress and "we expect that he will make a full recovery following rehabilitation."

In the Senate, Murphy serves on the Appropriations Committee and is a leading voice on immigration and gun policy. He is considered a contender for more senior leadership positions in the Senate and among the many Democrats seen as potential 2028 candidates for the White House.

Murphy said he has been staying engaged with his team and colleagues remotely and that his staff continues to ensure the work of his office continues uninterrupted. "I want to extend my deepest thanks to the excellent doctors and staff at Johns Hopkins who have treated me and cared for my family," he said.

Before the stroke, Murphy had been traveling the country in support of House and Senate candidates as his party raced for majority control, which it secured in Tuesday's midterm elections. A day before the stroke, he posted that he had been campaigning in his home state for Governor Ned Lamont. The week before, he posted from Minnesota campaigning with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the Democratic nominee for the Senate.

The final sprint before Election Day capped Murphy's whirlwind trip to the Middle East at the start of October for meetings with several leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In early September, Murphy completed his annual "walk across Connecticut", covering about 70 miles (113 kilometers) over four days, talking with residents about their concerns along the way.

Three other Senate Democrats have had strokes in recent years. Senators Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland had strokes in 2022 and have since recovered. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman had a stroke while campaigning for his seat that year and now uses adaptive technology in the Senate. Fetterman said on social media the day after Murphy's stroke that his family was "rooting for Chris and his family for a full and speedy recovery."