Former Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) will formally declare his candidacy for Senate at noon Wednesday at the Old State House in Hartford.

Shays is seeking to replace retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) in a race most political observers predict Democrats will win.

At this point, Shays is considered a long shot. He must first defeat former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon in the Republican primary. McMahon spent $47 million in her last Senate effort in 2010. Shays has had a soft campaign launch. He spent the fall conducting interviews with Connecticut and Washington reporters. But in the past few weeks, he has stepped up his criticism of McMahon. Most specifically, he is honing in on her record running the WWE.