Hartford — For dramatic effect, he couldn’t have timed it any better.

Just as it appeared his colleagues would convene without him, Democratic state Sen. Andrew Maynard entered the state Capitol’s Senate Chamber at precisely 10:03 a.m. Wednesday, ultimately silencing speculation about his ability to take the oath of office on the first day of the General Assembly’s 2015 session.

Maynard, whose appearance touched off a standing ovation, had been little seen in public since sustaining serious injuries in a July fall outside his home in Stonington.

Accompanied into the chamber by family members, Maynard smiled broadly as he moved to his nearby desk — the one reserved for the senator who represents the 18th District — all the while acknowledging accolades.

The applause lasted several minutes.

Maynard nodded when Secretary of the State Denise Merrill called his name during roll call and raised his right hand to take the oath she administered to him and his fellow senators. Over the next hour and 45 minutes, he chatted with those seated next to him, nibbled a pastry and accepted heartfelt congratulations from the likes of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman and Sen. Martin Looney, newly installed as the Senate president pro tempore.

Former Sen. Donald Williams and several others then ushered Maynard from the Senate chamber to a third-floor elevator. The small entourage exited the elevator on the first floor and led Maynard to an SUV parked at the curb outside the Capitol.

Maynard, who acknowledged a reporter and shook his hand, took no questions.

In a statement issued by his Senate office, Maynard’s sister, Denise Mahoney, said he had insisted on taking the oath of office with his colleagues.

“The rate of his recovery from his injuries has been nothing short of remarkable,” she said. “The family would like to thank all of his friends and well-wishers. They have been with him every step of the way throughout his recovery and their continued love and support will sustain him as he continues to recover.”

Maynard suffered physical injuries as well as a traumatic brain injury in the July fall. While he has made great strides, his family said he continues to undergo physical and occupational therapy to improve his balance, strengthen his right arm and refine the use of his right hand.

He also has aphasia, a speech disorder associated with brain injury.

“While he can process language and understand others, the condition impairs his ability to speak,” his sister said. “As part of his ongoing recovery, he is working with a speech therapist. Although he is making great progress, he currently has some difficulty retrieving words and names.”

Despite being unable to campaign last fall, Maynard overwhelmingly won a fifth consecutive term. At the end of his current term, he will have logged 10 years of service in the legislature, making him eligible for state retiree health benefits.

Maynard, staying with a relative in Noank, had been spotted in Stonington-area restaurants in the last week. He had been admitted months ago to the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, where a hospital official said Tuesday he was no longer a patient.

Maynard is eager to resume working a full schedule in the Senate and will do so as soon as he is able, said Adam Joseph, a spokesman for Senate Democrats.

Several of Maynard’s southeastern Connecticut colleagues, including Sens. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, and Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, congratulated him on his recovery.

“It was wonderful to see him here. Absolutely great,” Osten said. “We’ve been looking forward to it so much. You could see the warmth for him (in the Senate). It’s what we all feel.”

State Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington, said members of the House, who took their oaths of office in the second-floor Hall of the House of Representatives at the Capitol, watched Maynard’s Senate entrance on video screens.

“It was a great way to handle it,” she said of the senator’s dramatic, last-minute appearance. “To give him an opportunity to receive that appreciation was so great. Everyone was so thrilled at his ability to recover.”

Stonington Selectman Rob Simmons, a former Republican congressman, said Maynard’s return attested to his recovery and his commitment to his constituents.

“I hope his recovery continues, so he can get up here on a regular basis and work for the people of his district — including me,” Simmons said.

“Andy Maynard’s return to the Senate and recovery is a profile in courage,” said Stonington Democratic Town Chairman Scott Bates. “For him to be standing in the Capitol today warms the hearts of everyone in our region.”

Maynard will serve as the Senate chairman of the legislature’s Transportation Committee and as a member of the Internship and Program Review and Investigations committees.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com

Twitter: @bjhallenbeck