Sen. Chris Dodd (D) acquired a primary opponent Monday when businessman Merrick Alpert announced his Senate candidacy.

Dodd has come under fire in recent months because of his chairmanship on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee during a national financial crisis, plus a well-publicized alleged special deal on his home mortgage. Public polls have shown Dodd already trailing his likely Republican opponent, former Rep. Rob Simmons, who announced his candidacy earlier this year.

Alpert, however, is the first Democrat to announce his intentions to run against Dodd. In a video announcement posted on his Web site, Alpert said that state residents “deserve a Senator who tells you the truth.—

“Like many of you, I’ve lost faith in Sen. Dodd,— Alpert says in the video. “While he’s served the state well in the past, that’s not so lately.—

According to his campaign, Alpert filed his papers with the Federal Elections Commission on Monday. He will make his official announcement today.