Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol during voting, Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call Inc. | Getty Images
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, announced Friday that he has been released from the hospital after suffering a stroke over the weekend.
Murphy, 53, said he will be in a rehabilitation center for “the next few weeks,” meaning he will miss a vote in the Senate when Congress reconvenes on Monday.
“My doctors are very encouraged by my progress so far,” he said in a statement.
Murphy, who is being talked about as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, said: “After being released from the hospital today, I plan to spend several weeks in a rehabilitation center in order to take my recovery seriously and return to work as soon as possible.”
“Senator Murphy experienced a mild hemorrhagic stroke,” Dr. Jose Suarez, director of neuroscience and critical care at Johns Hopkins Hospital, said in a statement released by Murphy’s office.
“He has shown great progress and at his current rate of improvement, we expect him to make a full recovery after rehabilitation,” Suarez said.
Murphy had been hospitalized since suffering a stroke during his son’s hockey game.
“Last Saturday afternoon, I felt something wrong with my body and out of an abundance of caution, I called 911. I’m glad I did,” Murphy said in a statement. “I was diagnosed with a small hemorrhage in the thalamus area of my brain.”
The senator said he was grateful “for the tremendous support my family and I have received over the past few days.”
“This has been a frightening experience for me and my family, and I appreciate your continued respect for our privacy,” Murphy said. “As I work toward a full recovery, I continue to engage with my team and colleagues remotely, and my staff continues to deliver on our legislative priorities, serve our constituents, and ensure the work of our office remains uninterrupted.”
Murphy’s stroke occurred three days before Democratic candidates won more than enough votes in January to flip the Senate and House from Republican majority control.
Murphy was not running for re-election this year, but before the election he campaigned for Democratic candidates across the country, most recently in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida. He was scheduled to campaign in New Hampshire on Sunday with Representative Chris Pappas, who won his Senate race on Tuesday.
