Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a rising star in the Democratic Party and outspoken critic of the U.S. war in Iran, is being monitored in a medical center after he suffered a stroke Saturday afternoon, his office said on Sunday.
"The doctors are encouraged by his progress, he is awake and alert, and we are optimistic he will make a full recovery," Murphy's chief of staff said in a statement.
Murphy, 53 years old, was taken to a local hospital after experiencing numbness in his arm during his son's hockey game, his team said. He was then transferred to Johns Hopkins. His office didn't immediately provide more details.
Murphy, who has been mentioned as a possible presidential contender in 2028, has served in his seat since 2013. He is up for re-election in November 2030.
Other senators have experienced strokes in recent years. As a candidate, Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) experienced a stroke days before his primary in 2022 and went on to win his election. That same year, Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico both experienced strokes while in office. Then-Sen. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) suffered a stroke in 2012 that left him initially unable to walk. He lost his bid for re-election in 2016.
Murphy's Senate colleagues shared well wishes on social media. "As someone who survived a near-fatal stroke, I understand all too well how much this impacts your life," Fetterman wrote. "My family is rooting for Chris and his family for a full and speedy recovery."
Murphy, who traveled to Saudi Arabia and Qatar last month, has been a sharp critic of the Trump administration's Middle East policy and recently denounced the White House talk of resuming major combat operations against Iran as "insane."
President Trump has said that he is considering launching "another little Epic Fury," referring to the U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign in the spring.
Murphy has said that the Democrats will try to use their votes on military spending to bring an end to the conflict if they take control of the Congress.
He has also criticized the Trump administration's decision to waive human rights restrictions on defense assistance to Egypt.
During the Biden administration, Murphy said that U.S. aid to Israel should be conditioned on steps to protect innocent civilians in Gaza and to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid.