North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven will announce his 2010 election plans Monday evening in Bismarck, N.D.

Party officials expect Hoeven, who has a press conference scheduled for 6 p.m. (Central Time), to announce that he is running for Sen. Byron Dorgan’s (D-N.D.) seat.

Dorgan shocked the political world last week when he announced he would not seek re-election in 2010, a decision observers speculate was driven by Hoeven’s likely entrance into the race.

Both politicians are popular in North Dakota, but polls conducted late last year showed Dorgan trailing Hoeven by significant margins.

CQ Politics rates the general election contest a Toss Up, pending candidate announcements.

To see how all the Senate races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics election map.