Democratic Sen. Christopher J. Dodd could get another Republican challenger on Tuesday. Republican state Sen. Sam Caligiuri will be making "an important announcement about his future plans with regards to the 2010 United States Senate race," he notified reporters in a release sent out Monday morning.
The announcement will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday in front of Caligiuri's home in Waterbury, Conn.
Dodd has already attracted one challenger, former Rep. Rob Simmons, who announced March 15 that he would take on the the suddenly vulnerable six-term senator. Dodd's popularity at home has plummeted since last summer, thanks to a series of scandals related to real estate deals and his ties to the financial industry.
Most recently, he came under fire for his role in the AIG bonus scandal -- Dodd authored the amendment in the stimulus bill on executive compensation that was then modified to exempt existing bonuses, such as the $165 million paid out by the insurance giant.
Caligiuri is in his second term in the state Senate, where he's compiled an eclectic record -- pushing stronger criminal sentences and conservative fiscal policies but also sponsoring an Equal Pay for Equal work bill that is a pet cause of feminist groups. Before that he served as mayor of Waterbury where he earned a reputation as a reformer.
Gary L. Rose, chairman of the Department of Government and Politics of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, said Caligiuri could be a "sleeper candidate," particularly if ethics is the key issue in the race.
A third Republican, former ambassador to Ireland and fundraiser for President George W. Bush, Thomas C. Foley, is also likely to run.
The latest poll, conducted by Research 2000 March 23-25, showed Dodd with a slim lead over Simmons in a hypothetical match-up -- 45 percent to 40 percent with 15 percent undecided. Dodd led Caligiuri 51 percent to 30 percent with 19 percent undecided.
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