NEW YORK — Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, a veteran of more than a quarter century in Congress, set his sights on the White House Thursday as he joined a growing field of presidential contenders.

In an unconventional move, Dodd announced his candidacy on the rowdy "Imus in the Morning" radio show then later joined his Senate Foreign Relations Committee colleagues in questioning Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about Iraq.

He immediately planned to travel to the early voting states of Iowa and South Carolina.

Dodd, a 26-year Senate veteran, told host Don Imus he had the knowledge and experience necessary to govern in a dangerous world. And while he acknowledged he was an underdog compared to celebrity candidates like Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois — neither of whom has yet joined the field — Dodd said he has more than a year to make his case to voters.

"There's a heightened sense of urgency about the condition of the country. But it isn't just Iraq — there are problems here at home that are huge," Dodd said, mentioning education, energy policy and health care.

Dodd's career in Washington began in 1974 when he was elected to the House in the wake of the Watergate scandal. His father, Thomas J. Dodd, served two terms in the Senate; the younger Dodd won a Senate seat in 1980.

Dodd has forged strong ties with labor unions, advocated fiscal accountability for corporations and championed education and other children's issues. This month, he became chairman of the influential Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and is a senior member of Foreign Relations.

A fluent speaker of Spanish, Dodd served in the Peace Corps in a rural village in Dominican Republic from 1966-68 and has had a strong interest in Latin American affairs throughout his career. As the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations western hemisphere subcommittee, he's been able to wield a heavy influence on U.S. involvement in the region.

Although he is firmly positioned in his party's liberal wing, Dodd is noted for a willingness to compromise that has made him capable for forging coalitions with members of both parties.