Businessman Tom Foley (R) has joined a crowded field of candidates running against Sen. Chris Dodd (D) in 2010.

Foley, a former ambassador to Ireland in President George W. Bush’s administration, announced last week that he has formed a campaign committee to run. He joins former Rep. Rob Simmons and state Sen. Sam Caligiuri in the race for the Republican nomination.

“Over the past few months I have been contacted by many friends and citizens from across the state telling me that we need a Senator in Washington who understands business and the economy, who knows how jobs are created, and who will focus on and can be trusted to serve the needs of our state,— Foley said in a statement. “As a Washington outsider, I will bring fresh ideas, new energy, and real expertise to the problems we face in Connecticut and across the country.—

Recent public polls have shown Dodd trailing Simmons in a head-to-head matchup. Dodd has attracted unwanted headlines stemming from a widely publicized special deal that he received on his home mortgage, a quixotic White House bid in 2008, plus his management of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee during a national financial crisis.