U.S. Senator Chris Murphy was hospitalized with a stroke on Saturday and, according to a statement from his chief of staff, doctors said he is expected to make a full recovery.

“Yesterday afternoon, Senator Murphy started experiencing numbness in his arm while at his son’s hockey game. He was taken to a local hospital, where it was discovered, he had experienced a stroke,” according to the statement from Murphy’s chief of staff Allison Herwitt on Sunday afternoon.

“He was transferred to Johns Hopkins for further monitoring and is responding well to treatment. The doctors are encouraged by his progress, he is awake and alert, and we are optimistic he will make a full recovery,” Herwitt said.

Gov. Ned Lamont reacted to Murphy’s hospitalization with a statement on Sunday noting, “Just two days ago, I was with Senator Chris Murphy doing what he loves most: encouraging Connecticut residents to make their voices heard and vote on Tuesday.

“There is no stronger advocate for our democracy, and no one who fights harder for the people of this state. Chris is a great friend to Connecticut and to me personally, and Annie and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers. I am sure that he will be walking across the state again very soon, and we will all be cheering him on,” Lamont said in the statement.

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz also wished Murphy a speedy recovery.

“I was with Senator Murphy on Friday evening, where he was energetically encouraging voters to participate in the upcoming election. I am glad to hear that he is doing well, and I look forward to continuing our joint efforts to support the people of Connecticut. We are all wishing Chris a speedy recovery and keeping him in our thoughts and prayers,” Bysiewicz said.

Reached Sunday afternoon in between get-out-the-vote rallies on the campaign trail, U. S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he had not seen any signs of health problems with his close colleague in the U.S. Senate.

“I saw him Friday evening, and he was headed to D.C.,” Blumenthal told The Courant in a telephone interview from his car. “I saw him in New London. He seemed great. I’m sure he will be great. He seems to be responding well to treatment.”

Regarding Murphy’s health, Blumenthal said, “There was absolutely no indication that he was or is in bad health – any time. I work with him literally daily in the Senate, and he has looked himself – absolutely fine. And I’m certain that he will again.”

Health has become a major issue in national politics after then-President Joe Biden and former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell have suffered health problems that have raised questions about their age. Blumenthal said that he had seen a front page story in Sunday’s New York Times that focused on Trump’s age at 80.

Despite the broader concerns by voters nationwide, Blumenthal said flatly that fellow senators do not talk about their personal health.

“The answer is no,” Blumenthal said. “Unless someone has a health issue, we don’t really talk about our personal health. We talk a lot about healthcare and medical research, insurance reforms and access. But we don’t dwell on our own health.”

Blumenthal also said, “I know how fiercely he fights and I’m certain I’ll be welcoming him back to the Senate soon.”

Across Connecticut well-wishers issued statements well out of the realm of any party politics, just two days before very significant midterm elections.

Lamont’s opponent, state Sen. Ryan Fazio said, “I am keeping Sen. Murphy and his family in my prayers during this challenging moment and wish him a full and speedy recovery.”

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said, “Senator Chris Murphy has, and will continue to be, an unwavering champion and fighter for our working-class residents and families. I am heartened to hear that he is expected to make a full recovery, and our community is standing with Chris and his family during this time.”

Murphy, 53, has been a U.S. Senator since 2013 and prior to that was a member of the United States House of Representatives in Connecticut’s 5th Congressional district from 2007-2013.

Republican State Sen. Stephen Harding said, “Our thoughts are with Sen. Murphy and his family. We are encouraged to learn that Sen. Murphy is responding well to treatment and making progress. We wish him a swift and full recovery.”

State Attorney General William Tong said, “my thoughts are with Senator Murphy and his family today. He is the toughest fighter I know, for Connecticut and for our country, and I have no doubt he’s going to fight through this challenge now. We need him back on the front lines for all of us.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said in a joint statement, “we’re relieved to hear that Senator Murphy is alert and expected to make a full recovery. Chris is a champion for Connecticut, for the core values of our nation, and a steadfast defender of democracy, both at home and abroad.

“He and his family are in our thoughts, and we look forward to welcoming him back to the fight soon.”

Murphy has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s administration and the Iran War, and recently traveled overseas to get a first-hand look at the damage from the war that he has said is being covered up by the administration. He said he was blocked from seeing a key American air base in the Middle East during that official Congressional trip.

Both Murphy and Blumenthal work at breakneck speed with frequent travel overseas on Congressional missions and across Connecticut when they are in their home state. On Sunday alone, Blumenthal visited West Haven, New Haven, Derby, Enfield, West Hartford, and Meriden before circling back to Hartford and then Branford.

While Murphy has owned a home in Hartford for the past six years, he travels back and forth frequently to Washington, D.C. for Senate business and to see his children. He voted at Hartford City Hall on the first day of early voting on Oct. 19.

He was at his son’s hockey game when he experienced stiffness in his arm on Halloween.

After Murphy’s October trip to the Middle East, Murphy said it was despite longtime precedents for Congressional delegations that he was blocked from seeing the American military base in Qatar under Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Defense Department.

“I’ve been to the Middle East at least a dozen times as a member of Congress, and I’ve never been denied access to military facilities,” said Murphy, an outspoken member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

More recently, Murphy traveled to Michigan to campaign for Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a controversial candidate who is locked in a close race with Republican Mike Rogers in an election that could tip the balance in the closely divided U.S. Senate.

Murphy has repeatedly rejected notions that his outspokenness and constant travel is actually a preparation for him to be running for president.

“Maybe the reason that the things I’m saying have broken through is because they don’t come with a personal agenda,” Murphy previously said. “I wake up angry every day. I’m authentically very worried for our country. Everything that I do is out of that worry for my country, not out of any desire to push myself out there personally.”

During the October trip, Murphy met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as the most powerful person in Saudi Arabia.

“I’ve been a vocal critic of Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince,” Murphy said last month. “But, I think it’s important to be here to disagree and be honest and candid about those disagreements. It’s important to recognize there are things we need to work on together: ending the war in Iran and a pathway to Palestinian statehood. We had an honest, provocative conversation, particularly about the Gulf countries’ decisions to invest in the Trump family. It’s important for the Crown Prince to hear not just from the Trump administration, but from people who want a different path.”

As the midterm elections approached Murphy was working to boost Democrats’ chances. His itinerary included stumping for candidates in Connecticut as well as nearly half a dozen states with marquee Senate races that could affect which party holds the majority, the CT Mirror reported.

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