Scott Brown moves closer to announcing official Senate bid

Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R) plans to make his bid for Senate in New Hampshire official, he said on Wednesday on a local radio show.

{mosads}Brown launched an exploratory committee for the race last month and spent the past few weeks traveling the state to gauge support for a bid.

On local radio station WGIR, Brown was asked whether New Hampshire voters are likely to see an official announcement from Brown “as soon as next week.”

“Yes, sooner rather than later,” Brown said, who’s hosting his first fundraiser for the race next Monday in Washington, D.C.

According to an invitation obtained by The Hill, the fundraiser will be held at the Dubliner, a popular Capitol Hill pub. Tickets range from $250 for an individual to $1,000 for a host.

The event will be part of his second visit to D.C. in as many weeks. Brown left the city Wednesday afternoon after making a brief stop on Tuesday at the weekly Senate Republican conference lunch.

His official entrance into the race will give Republicans their best shot at taking down Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. He does, however, face three other Republicans in the September primary and some dissatisfaction from conservatives in New Hampshire, though he’s expected to ultimately win the nomination.

Shaheen campaign manager Mike Vlacich urged Brown to sign the People’s Pledge now that he plans to make his bid official. Brown signed that pledge, along with his Democratic opponent, then-candidate Elizabeth Warren (D), during his 2012 race for Senate, to prevent outside groups from investing in television and radio attacks during the race.

Shaheen has repeatedly called on him to sign the pledge, but he’s refused.

“In 2012, Scott Brown said Massachusetts voters deserved better than outside third-party attack ads. Well, the people of New Hampshire deserve better too,” Vlacich said. “We hope, now that he is officially a candidate, Scott Brown will commit to the same standard he set in his last race on the other side of the border and tell the special interests to stay out.”

This story was updated at 4:48 p.m.