Republican US Senator Scott Brown is set to pick up the endorsement of the prototypical Massachusetts moderate Friday morning — former Governor William F. Weld.

While not a surprise, Weld’s endorsement is a reminder of the 1996 Senate race, when Weld gave Democratic US Senator John F. Kerry a strong challenge, ultimately losing by 7 percentage points.

The dynamics were similar to the race between Brown and Democrat Elizabeth Warren, with Weld the more personally popular candidate working against a Democrat in a presidential year. Ultimately, party politics — the debate over which party would control the Senate — helped foil Weld’s bid. (Kerry formally endorsed Warren last week.)

Weld, who served as governor from 1991 through 1997, now works for McDermott Will & Emery as an attorney. Though he lives in New York, he remains an active voice, and an enduring influence, in the Massachusetts Republican Party.

The endorsement is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. in Brown’s South Boston headquarters.