Sen. Chris Murphy leaves hospital after a stroke and will miss Senate votes for weeks

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Friday that he has been discharged from the hospital after a stroke last weekend and will spend "several weeks" at a rehabilitation center, which means he will miss Senate votes when Congress returns on Monday. CNBC reported the details from his statement; NBC News and the Associated Press carried the same news.

What the senator and his doctor said

Murphy, 53, said he felt "something was not right" on Saturday afternoon at his son's hockey game and called 911. He was diagnosed with a small bleed in the thalamus region of the brain. Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of Neurosciences Critical Care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, said in a statement released by Murphy's office that the senator "experienced a small hemorrhagic stroke," has "shown tremendous progress," and that doctors "expect that he will make a full recovery following rehabilitation."

Murphy said he is staying engaged with his team and colleagues remotely and that his staff is continuing legislative and constituent work. He asked for continued privacy for his family.

Why a few missed votes matter

CNBC reports that Murphy campaigned for Democrats in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida before the stroke, and that Democrats won enough races on Tuesday to flip both the Senate and the House from January. He was not up for reelection this year. That means the new majorities do not take office until January, and the chamber that returns Monday is the current one. Our Senate results report covers the incoming split and the two races still uncalled as of Thursday.

A senator's absence only changes outcomes on votes that are close. Any measure or nomination that depends on a single vote can be affected by one empty seat, which is why party leaders track attendance. We have not seen reporting on which specific votes are scheduled for the coming weeks, so we are not predicting any outcome.

What to watch

• Whether Murphy's office posts a return date, or updates his doctors' timeline.
• The Senate's schedule for the weeks after it returns Monday, and any vote that is expected to be tight.
• The two Senate races still uncalled, which decide the size of the incoming majority.

CNBC notes that Murphy has been discussed as a possible 2028 presidential candidate. Nothing in his statement addresses that, and this report does not speculate on it.

Sources: CNBC (Nov. 6, 2026), NBC News and AP (headlines), Murphy statement as quoted by CNBC. This is news information, not medical or investment advice.