Chris Murphy discharged from hospital after stroke

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks to reporters following votes at the Capitol, Thursday, March 5, 2026, in Washington.

" data-large-file="https://ctmirror.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AP26064767491306-771x514.jpg" /> U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is being discharged from the hospital on Friday after experiencing a stroke last weekend and will spend several weeks at a rehabilitation center before returning to work at the Capitol, according to a release from his office.

Murphy, the 53-year-old junior senator from Connecticut, was hospitalized last Saturday after experiencing symptoms.

“I want to be direct with you, so here is my diagnosis,” Murphy said in a statement. “Last Saturday afternoon, I felt something was not right with my body and called 9-1-1 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 said in a statement released on Friday afternoon.

“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,” he continued.

Congress returns to Washington next week after a month-long recess. Murphy said he’ll miss votes as he recovers at a rehabilitation center and will work remotely. The exact timeline for his return is uncertain.

The Senate goes back into session on Monday evening for about five more work weeks in the lame-duck session. Over the next few weeks, lawmakers will need to fund the government to avoid a shutdown in mid-December. They’ll also need to handle other must-pass bills and any last-minute legislative efforts by the end of the year.

“This has been a scary experience for me and my family, and I appreciate the continued respect for our privacy,” Murphy said. “As I’m working towards a full recovery, I am staying engaged with my team and colleagues remotely, and my staff continues to carry out our legislative priorities, serve constituents, and ensure the work of my 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.”

His physician, Dr. Jose Suarez, the chief of neurosciences critical care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, also released a statement about the type of stroke he experienced and said he’s expected to make a full recovery. The statement didn’t include further information about his condition.

“Sen. Murphy experienced a small hemorrhagic stroke,” Suarez said. “He has shown tremendous progress, and at the current rate of improvement, we expect that he will make a full recovery following rehabilitation.”

His office said Thursday that he’s making “remarkable progress,” but this is the first time since his hospitalization that they released more details of his diagnosis and recovery.

Murphy experienced arm numbness while attending his son’s hockey game on Oct. 31 and was taken to a hospital. He was later transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital where his doctors said they were “encouraged by his progress.”

Murphy, who was not on Tuesday’s ballot, had been campaigning the past several weeks in Connecticut and a handful of swing states for Democratic candidates competing in the midterms. And in early October, Murphy made a trip to the Middle East amid the ongoing war with Iran.

He was supposed to campaign in New Hampshire on the final weekend before the election. Murphy had also planned to attend Connecticut Democrats’ election night party in Dunkin’ Park in Hartford. That night, Gov. Ned Lamont went on to win a third term and Democrats across the board made massive electoral gains both locally and in Congress.

Murphy was in the hospital during Election Day, but he had cast an early vote in Connecticut’s elections.

The Connecticut Democrat is one of several senators to experience a stroke in the past several years.

In January 2022, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., suffered a stroke when he was 49 and returned to work full-time about five weeks after. Several months later that year, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was hospitalized for about a week after a minor stroke when he was 63.

Also in May 2022, John Fetterman, who was a 52-year-old Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, suffered a near-fatal stroke just days before the Democratic primary. He went on to win the primary and has served in the U.S. Senate since winning in November of that year.