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Murphy continues to recover from stroke, makes first comments about midterms

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Molly Ingram
/
WSHU
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) continues to make progress towards a full recovery after his stroke, according to information released by his office.

Murphy was diagnosed with a small bleed in the thalamus region of his brain. He was hospitalized on October 31, and then discharged for a few weeks of rehab less than a week later.

On Tuesday, he made his first public statement about the midterms. Up until his hospitalization, Murphy had been traveling around the country campaigning with Democrats.

“It is the beginning of the end of the Trump era. All across the country, we saw candidates win by standing up to the billionaires and corporations who rigged the system and broke our democracy,” Murphy said in an email to supporters.

“Democrats must now hold this Administration and its corrupt allies accountable and also simultaneously fight for an aggressively populist agenda to unrig our economy and deliver for working people across the political spectrum,” he continued.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and State Comptroller Sean Scanlon, both longtime friends of Murphy, spoke with him on the phone this week, according to the CT Mirror. They, along with Murphy’s doctors, said he’s making good progress toward recovery.

Murphy is expected to miss the next few weeks of Senate votes while he’s in rehab.

“I cannot wait to get back to work with all of my new colleagues, my old friends, and the incredible trust that the American people have placed in our party to govern,” Murphy said in the email.

“While you may not be hearing from me as much as I focus on my rehabilitation, just know that my doctors are very encouraged by the progress I’ve made so far and expect that I will make a full recovery. I want to thank them, and all of the staff, nurses, and healthcare professionals that have taken care of me and my family.”

Molly Ingram is WSHU's Public Policy reporter and editor, covering Connecticut. She also produces Long Story Short, a podcast exploring public policy issues across the state.