Democratic Party officials say U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd of the northeastern state of Connecticut will seek the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
The 62-year-old veteran lawmaker is expected to announce his candidacy Thursday on a nationally syndicated radio show.
The son of a former U.S. senator, Dodd was elected to the House of Representatives in 1974, and served three terms before his election to the Senate in 1980. He voted to authorize military action against Iraq in 2002, but has since become a vocal critic of President Bush's handling of the war.
Dodd joins a growing field of official candidates, including former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, and Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. Two other sitting senators, New York 's Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama of Illinois, are also considering seeking the nomination.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
