Career Timeline of Chris Murphy: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Chris Murphy made an impact.

Chris Murphy is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut, serving since 2013. A Democrat, his career includes prior service in the U.S. House of Representatives (2007-2013) and both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly. He served two terms each in the Connecticut House of Representatives (1999-2003) and the Connecticut Senate (2003-2007). He is also an author and an activist.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1996: Campaign Manager

In 1996, Christopher Murphy served as campaign manager for Charlotte Koskoff's unsuccessful House campaign against Nancy Johnson.

1997: Planning and Zoning Commission Seat

In 1997, Christopher Murphy was first elected to office, winning a seat on the planning and zoning commission in Southington.

1998: Worked for Connecticut State Senate Majority Leader

From 1997 to 1998, Christopher Murphy worked for Connecticut State Senate Majority Leader George Jepsen. This experience provided valuable insight into state politics.

1998: Elected State Representative

In 1998, at age 25, Christopher Murphy defeated incumbent Republican State Representative Angelo Fusco with 55% of the vote, marking his entry into the Connecticut House of Representatives.

1999: Connecticut House of Representatives

In 1999, Christopher Murphy became a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, serving two terms, marking the start of his career in the Connecticut General Assembly.

2000: Re-elected State Representative

In 2000, Christopher Murphy was re-elected to a second term as State Representative, defeating Barbara Morelli with 68% of the vote, demonstrating strong voter support.

2001: Co-sponsored Bill to Eliminate Child Poverty

In 2001, Christopher Murphy co-sponsored a bill to eliminate child poverty, demonstrating his early focus on social welfare issues. He also proposed legislation for free community-technical college tuition and a ban on smoking in state colleges.

2002: Supporter of LGBT Rights

In 2002, Christopher Murphy was a supporter of rights for LGBT people, demonstrating his early advocacy for LGBT equality. He served on the Judiciary Committee during his tenure.

2003: Joined Clean Car Alliance

In 2003, Christopher Murphy joined the Clean Car Alliance and supported California-like environmental standards on auto manufacturers, demonstrating his commitment to environmental protection.

2003: Connecticut Senate

In 2003, Christopher Murphy transitioned to the Connecticut Senate after serving in the Connecticut House of Representatives.

2004: Supported Smoking Ban in Restaurants and Bars

In 2004, Christopher Murphy supported a bill that would ban smoking in all restaurants and bars, reflecting his focus on public health issues.

2004: Re-elected to Connecticut State Senate

In 2004, Christopher Murphy was re-elected to a second term in the Connecticut State Senate, defeating Republican Christopher O'Brien with 60% of the vote.

2005: Authored Legislation on Child Protection and Stem-Cell Research

In 2005, Christopher Murphy authored legislation establishing the new Office of Child Protection, and also wrote Public Act 05–149, permitting stem-cell research while prohibiting human cloning.

2005: Co-sponsored Civil Union Bill

In 2005, during his tenure in the State Senate, Christopher Murphy was one of the first ten co-sponsors of a civil union bill that passed the General Assembly, demonstrating his support for LGBT rights.

2006: Elected to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2006, Christopher Murphy was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating twelve-term incumbent Republican Nancy Johnson with 56% of the vote, marking a significant victory.

May 2007: Organized Support for Ethics Panel

In May 2007, Christopher Murphy organized a group of freshmen House members to support the creation of an independent, non-partisan ethics panel to review complaints against members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

2007: U.S. House of Representatives

In 2007, Christopher Murphy was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Connecticut's 5th congressional district.

March 2008: Independent Office of Congressional Ethics Passed

In March 2008, the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which Christopher Murphy helped shape, was passed into law by the House, enhancing congressional accountability.

2008: Authored Supportive Housing Investment Act

In 2008, Christopher Murphy authored the "Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act", passed by the House, to modernize Section 811, which governs federal supportive housing grants.

2008: Added Amendment to Rail Legislation

In 2008, Christopher Murphy successfully added an amendment to rail legislation to facilitate cooperation between Amtrak and the state of Connecticut on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line project.

2008: Re-elected to U.S. House

In 2008, Christopher Murphy was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 60% of the vote, demonstrating continued strong support from his district.

2008: Passed Government Funding Transparency Act

In 2008, as a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Christopher Murphy introduced and successfully passed into law the "Government Funding Transparency Act of 2008", requiring companies doing major business with the federal government to disclose top executives' salaries.

2009: Introduced Billy's Law

In 2009, Christopher Murphy introduced "Billy's Law" to improve coordination of law-enforcement efforts to locate missing persons, named in honor of Billy Smolinski Jr.

2010: Re-elected to U.S. House

In 2010, Christopher Murphy was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, securing 54% of the vote.

January 20, 2011: Announced Senate Run

On January 20, 2011, Christopher Murphy announced that he would run for the Senate seat held by Joe Lieberman, who was retiring.

2012: U.S. Senate Run

In 2012, Christopher Murphy ran for the U.S. Senate after Joe Lieberman retired. He won against Susan Bysiewicz in the primary and Linda McMahon in the general election and became the youngest senator of the 113th Congress.

2012: Elected to the U.S. Senate

In 2012, Christopher Murphy was elected to the U.S. Senate, defeating Linda McMahon with 55% of the vote, marking a significant milestone in his career.

January 3, 2013: Took Office as U.S. Senator

On January 3, 2013, Christopher Murphy took office as the junior United States senator for Connecticut, focusing on transportation, infrastructure, Long Island Sound preservation, small farms, and Connecticut manufacturing.

2013: U.S. Senate

In 2013, Christopher Murphy became the junior United States Senator from Connecticut.

June 8, 2015: Co-authored "Principles for a Progressive Foreign Policy"

On June 8, 2015, Chris Murphy co-authored "Principles for a Progressive Foreign Policy" in Foreign Affairs, proposing a framework for a Democratic foreign policy strategy.

August 5, 2015: Introduction of the Mental Health Reform Act of 2015

On August 5, 2015, Chris Murphy introduced the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act of 2015 with Senator Bill Cassidy. The legislation aimed to overhaul the mental health system by building treatment capacity, promoting integrated care models, expanding the mental health workforce, and encouraging the enforcement of existing mental health parity laws.

January 29, 2016: Called for US to stop supporting the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen

On January 29, 2016, Chris Murphy recommended that the US stop supporting the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen and suspend military sales to Saudi Arabia until the US receives assurances about efforts against al-Qaeda and ISIS and Saudi Arabia lessens its support of Wahhabism.

March 2016: Authored the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act

In March 2016, Chris Murphy co-authored the bipartisan bill the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act with Republican Senator Rob Portman.

March 16, 2016: Mental Health Reform Act Passed by HELP Committee

On March 16, 2016, the Mental Health Reform Act was passed unanimously by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

November 30, 2016: Legislators approved measure to ask the U.S. State Department to take action against foreign propaganda

On November 30, 2016, legislators approved a measure within the National Defense Authorization Act to ask the U.S. State Department to take action against foreign propaganda through an interagency panel. The legislation authorized funding of $160 million over a two-year period. The initiative was developed through the Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act.

December 7, 2016: Senate Passes Mental Health Reform as Part of 21st Century Cures Act

On December 7, 2016, the Senate passed Mental Health Reform as part of the 21st Century Cures Act. The bill also provided $1 billion in funding to address the opioid crisis and funding for the NIH Cancer Moonshot initiative.

December 13, 2016: Mental Health Reform Bill Signed into Law

On December 13, 2016, President Obama signed the Mental Health Reform bill into law.

2016: Votes on Cannabis-Related Causes

In 2016, Chris Murphy voted in favor of the Daines/Merkley Amendment to enable Veterans Health Administration doctors to discuss the benefits of medical marijuana with their patients. He also voted in favor of the Mikulski Medical Marijuana Amendment, which protects users in states with medical marijuana laws from federal interference.

2016: Filibuster Regarding Gun Control

In 2016, following the Orlando nightclub shooting, Chris Murphy staged a filibuster regarding gun control, which entered the list of the top 10 longest filibusters in U.S. history.

2017: Introduced the bipartisan Fix NICS Act

Following the 2017 Sutherland Springs church shooting, Chris Murphy and fellow U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan Fix NICS Act to ensure criminal records are submitted to the federal background-check system.

2017: Introduced a National Assault-Weapon Ban

In 2017, Chris Murphy introduced a national assault-weapon ban, reflecting his strong support for gun control.

June 2018: New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line Began Operation

In June 2018, the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Commuter Rail Line, for which Christopher Murphy advocated, began operation, providing daily commuter service.

2018: Re-elected to U.S. Senate

In 2018, Christopher Murphy was re-elected to the U.S. Senate for a second term, defeating Republican businessman Matt Corey with 59.5 percent of the vote.

2018: Senate Re-election Win

In 2018, Christopher Murphy won re-election to the U.S. Senate for a second term.

February 2019: Reintroduced legislation requiring sanctions on Saudi officials involved in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi

In February 2019, Chris Murphy was one of seven senators to reintroduce legislation requiring sanctions on Saudi officials involved in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and seeking to address support for the Yemen civil war through prohibiting some weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and U.S. military refueling of Saudi coalition planes.

July 2019: Introduction of the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act

In July 2019, Chris Murphy and fifteen other Senate Democrats introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which mandated that ICE agents obtain approval from a supervisor before engaging in enforcement actions at sensitive locations and receive annual training, along with annual reporting requirements.

September 2020: Published a book on gun control titled The Violence Inside Us: A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy

In September 2020, Chris Murphy published a book on gun control titled The Violence Inside Us: A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy.

The Violence Inside Us: A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy

Check it on Amazon

July 2023: Introduction of the National Strategy for Social Connection Act

In July 2023, Murphy introduced the National Strategy for Social Connection Act, which aimed to establish a White House Office of Social Connection Policy to coordinate federal agencies in creating policies promoting social infrastructure and issue guidelines to foster social bonds. The legislation also suggested funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to research loneliness and social isolation.

2023: Introduced a National Assault-Weapon Ban

In 2023, Chris Murphy introduced a national assault-weapon ban, reflecting his strong support for gun control.

April 2024: Announcement of Round-Table Events to Restore the 'Common Good'

In April 2024, Chris Murphy, in partnership with Utah Governor Spencer Cox, announced a series of round-table events focused on restoring the value of the "common good." These forums aimed to bring together thinkers, researchers, and writers to explore community solutions to combat loneliness and foster social solidarity.

2024: Urged a revamp of Democratic Party policy

After the defeat of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, Chris Murphy urged a significant revamp of Democratic Party policy, citing neoliberalism, alienation of Americans, and a perception of elitism.

2024: Senate Re-election Win

In 2024, Christopher Murphy won re-election to the U.S. Senate for a third term.

2024: Won Re-election to Senate

In 2024, Christopher Murphy won the general election and was elected to a third term in the US Senate.

2024: Emerged as a prominent critic of Donald Trump

Since the 2024 United States presidential election, Chris Murphy has emerged as a prominent critic of Donald Trump within the Democratic Party.

January 2025: Introduction of the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA)

In January 2025, Chris Murphy, along with senators Ted Cruz, Katie Britt, and Brian Schatz, introduced the Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA). This act aimed to set a minimum age of 13 to use social media platforms and prevent social media companies from feeding "algorithmically-targeted" content to users under the age of 17.