Reid spokesman: Officials will aim to swear in Mass. Sen.-elect Brown on Thursday afternoon

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Democrats aim to swear in Brown on Thursday

BOSTON — A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says officials will aim to swear in Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown on Thursday afternoon.

Brown captured the seat of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy in an upset. He had been saying he didn’t want to be sworn in before Feb. 11 but has taken conservative criticism for the delay.

A lawyer for Brown says in a letter Wednesday to Massachusetts Gov. Deval (deh-VAHL’) Patrick that the senator-elect has been told there may be votes in which he wants to participate.

Lawyer Daniel Winslow says Brown wants the results of the Jan. 19 election certified by 11 a.m. Thursday, paving the way for Brown to be sworn in later in the day.

Patrick was already planning to certify the results at 9:30 a.m. The Reid spokesman says officials will aim for a swearing-in at 5 p.m.