Sen. Chris Murphy hospitalized after a stroke; his office expects a full recovery

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., is in the hospital after having a stroke, his office said Sunday, Nov. 1, PBS NewsHour reported.

Chief of staff Allison Herwitt said Murphy, 53, felt numbness in his arm on Saturday while at his son's hockey game. Doctors at a local hospital diagnosed the stroke, and he was transferred to Johns Hopkins for further monitoring.

Herwitt said he was "awake and alert" and responding well to treatment, and that his team is optimistic he will fully recover, according to PBS.

Who is Murphy

• Elected to the House in 2006 and to the Senate in 2012.
• Sits on the Appropriations Committee.
• A leading Democratic voice on gun policy and immigration, and often mentioned as a possible 2028 presidential candidate.

Murphy is not on Tuesday's ballot. He had been campaigning for Democratic candidates in the final weeks of the midterms.

Reaction

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, his Connecticut colleague, said he expects Murphy back in the Senate soon. Senators from both parties, including John Fetterman, Chuck Grassley and Pete Ricketts, sent well wishes, and President Trump said he was surprised by the news, PBS reported.

Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Chris Van Hollen both had strokes and later returned to work.

Know the signs

Doctors use the BE FAST checklist for stroke: balance, eyes, face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call 911. Learn the warning signs from the CDC.