Chris Murphy has dedicated his career to serving the people of Connecticut. Elected to the Senate in 2012, Chris is a leading voice in the fight to create jobs, make sure all Americans have good health care they can afford, and keep our kids safe from gun violence. Chris has earned a reputation as a serious legislator who is willing to stand up for his principles and reach across the aisle. On issues ranging from transportation and manufacturing to fixing our broken mental health system and combating the opioid crisis, Chris listens to his constituents and works hard with both Democrats and Republicans to get things done.

Connecticut Roots

Both sides of Chris’s family go back generations in Connecticut. His great-grandfather and grandfather climbed into the middle class through manufacturing jobs in New Britain, and his mother was a public school teacher. Growing up in Wethersfield, Chris first became interested in public service after spending weekends helping clean up the Connecticut River. He attended Williams College in Massachusetts before enrolling in UConn Law School where he met his wife, Cathy.

Before coming to Congress, Chris served for eight years in the Connecticut General Assembly and the State Senate. During his time in Hartford, Chris authored Connecticut’s Stem Cell Investment Act and the state’s landmark ban on smoking in the workplace.

In 2006, Chris was elected to the House of Representatives serving Connecticut’s 5th district. During his time in the House, Chris began his work to grow manufacturing jobs in Connecticut and strengthen our Buy American laws. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he helped draft the Affordable Care Act, providing health care coverage for millions of Americans.

Senator Murphy

In 2012, Chris was elected to the United States Senate. As the junior Senator, Chris travels across the state hearing from people in Connecticut about what they want him to be working on in Washington. Chris walks across the state every year, averaging 20 miles a day as he listens to a cross-section of Connecticut residents about their unfiltered concerns and priorities.

Following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, Chris made a promise to the community that he wouldn’t rest until Washington took action to prevent future tragedies. He has since become one of the strongest voices in Congress fighting to strengthen our gun laws. He introduced universal background check legislation and supports measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and domestic abusers. When it appeared that Congress was not going to act following the shooting at Pulse Nightclub, Chris filibustered on the Senate floor for 15 hours to force a vote on gun violence measures. After the tragedies in Buffalo and Uvalde, Chris worked across the aisle to break the logjam and pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first significant piece of federal gun safety legislation in 30 years.

When Republicans tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Chris helped lead the fight to preserve health coverage for millions of Americans. In 2016, Chris worked with Republican Senator Bill Cassidy to author the largest overhaul of our nation’s mental health laws in a generation. Signed into law by President Obama, the Mental Health Reform Act breaks down barriers between the physical and mental health systems, trains new child psychiatrists, makes sure insurance companies cover mental health treatment fairly and provides $1 billion to combat the opioid crisis.

Finally, as a Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Chris fights to secure funding for major Connecticut priorities. He has advocated for upgrades to Connecticut’s roads and rails. He has been a voice for Connecticut’s manufacturers, advocating for more submarines, jet engines and helicopters and for the programs that train workers for these new jobs. And he has made the case for preserving Connecticut’s coastline and open spaces, including cleaning up Long Island Sound.

When he’s not working, Chris can be found spending time with Cathy and their two sons, Owen and Rider.