Merrick Alpert was a member of former VP Al Gore’s advance team. (Getty)

Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd , who has faced a series of political difficulties, is getting the first official challenger for his 2010 Democratic primary:
Merrick Alpert, a former aide to Vice President Al Gore who also has been an Air Force officer and software company executive.

Alpert intends to formally launch his candidacy Tuesday, according to a statement he posted on his Web site over the weekend.  

Dodd finds himself at political risk heading into his 2010 campaign: Highly popular through most of his career, his approval ratings among Connecticut voters have dropped sharply over the past year — because of questions raised about the Senate Banking Committee chairman’s ties to the financial industry, though also because many state voters were disgruntled over his brief, failed bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.