U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy hospitalized after having a stroke

This story has been updated.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., was hospitalized after experiencing a stroke, his office confirmed on Sunday.

Murphy, 53, experienced symptoms on Saturday while attending his son’s hockey game and was taken to a hospital. He was later transferred to another hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

“Yesterday afternoon, Sen. Murphy started experiencing numbness in his arm while at his son’s hockey game,” Murphy chief of staff Allison Herwitt said in a statement on Sunday.

“He was taken to a local hospital, where it was discovered he had experienced a stroke,” she said. “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.”

Murphy, who is not on Tuesday’s ballot, has been campaigning the past several weeks in Connecticut and a handful of swing states on behalf of Democratic candidates competing in the midterm elections. He was supposed to be in New Hampshire on Sunday to campaign with U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, who’s running for Senate.

Speaking from a canvass launch in Meriden on Sunday afternoon, U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th District, gave a heartfelt shout-out to Murphy and the work he’s done for Democratic candidates across the country in recent weeks.

Hayes and a few other Connecticut Democrats on the ballot this Tuesday spoke to a group of a few dozen volunteers and supporters. Many of them gasped as Hayes broke the news.

“Today, I’m just struggling with the fact that everything is on the line. In two days, we will know the outcome in the House and in the Senate. I’m sure you’ve all heard this morning that Sen. Murphy suffered a stroke and he’s in the hospital,” Hayes said as the mood of the room quickly shifted to surprise and murmurs about the news.

“He has been all over this country working for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot because he understands it’s not just about what happens to those small things, it’s about making sure that those big things are also taken care of. It’s about making sure that we have Democratic majorities in the House and in the Senate. He’s going to be OK,” she said to applause.

Gov. Ned Lamont, at a campaign stop in West Hartford on Sunday, said just he’d spoken with someone in Murphy’s office and was “leaving him alone,” he said. “He’s better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better again.”

Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz had offered their support in a prepared statement earlier Sunday.

“Just two days ago, I was with Sen. Chris Murphy doing what he loves most: encouraging Connecticut residents to make their voices heard and vote on Tuesday,” Lamont said. “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.”

“I was with Sen. Murphy on Friday evening, where he was energetically encouraging voters to participate in the upcoming election,” Bysiewicz said. “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.”

Comptroller Sean Scanlon is a former Murphy staffer.

“Chris is like a brother to me. I spent 10 years of my life working with him,” Scanlon said. “It’s very scary to get that call yesterday, given how young his is. Here’s the good news: Chris is going to be OK, and the doctors feel really optimistic about where he’s at.”

“Our thoughts are with Sen. Murphy and his family,” said Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield. “We are encouraged to learn that Sen. Murphy is responding well to treatment and making progress.”

Roberto Alves, the Democratic state chair, said, “We were surprised by the news … and relieved to hear that he is doing well. The Senator is a workhorse, tirelessly campaigning for Democratic candidates here and across the country. We wish Chris a full, speedy recovery and return to work.”

“We’re relieved to hear that Sen. Murphy is alert and expected to make a full recovery,” Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said in a joint statement. “Chris is a champion for Connecticut, for the core values of our nation, and a steadfast defender of democracy, both home and abroad. He and his family are in our thoughts, and we look forward to welcoming him back to the fight soon.”

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal also issued a brief statement.

“Thinking of my great friend and colleague Chris Murphy. I know how fiercely he fights, and I’m certain I’ll be welcoming him back to the Senate soon,” Blumenthal said.

“My thoughts are with Sen. Murphy and his family today,” said Attorney General William Tong. “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.”