BANGOR – Republican Kevin Raye declared victory Wednesday in his primary bid for the open 2nd Congressional District seat, presumably setting up a November race between himself and the Democratic nominee, state Sen. Mike Michaud.

“This race shows once again that every vote counts,” Raye told a group of supporters at his Bangor office, referring to the razor-thin margin between himself and former Bangor Mayor Tim Woodcock, based on unofficial totals compiled by the Bangor Daily News.

With all precincts in the 2nd District reporting, Raye, the former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, held a 417-vote margin over Woodcock. Raye of Perry rolled over his nearest competitor in Washington County by a 7-to-1 margin.

But while Raye might have declared victory, his chief rival was not ready to step aside just yet.

“Considering the very narrow margin of votes separating myself and Kevin Raye, I feel an obligation to ensure that every single vote is counted accurately and reported correctly,” said Woodcock, who on Wednesday asked the Secretary of State’s Office for a recount in the tight race.

“We remain very confident that, considering the history of recounts, the number will stand,” Raye spokeswoman Kathie Summers said after learning of Woodcock’s request.

Domna Giatas, spokeswoman for the Secretary of State’s Office, said Wednesday that officials there should have the official results in hand by Friday. Under state law, the Secretary of State’s Office then has 21 days to certify the results and submit them to the governor.

In the Republican race, state Rep. Stavros Mendros of Lewiston finished with 20.6 percent, while former state Rep. Dick Campbell, the party’s 2000 nominee, earned 19 percent of the unofficial vote.

There is unlikely to be any review on the Democratic side, with Maine Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Michaud besting his Senate colleague Susan Longley by 3.9 percent of the vote, according to unofficial totals.

On Wednesday evening, in his hometown of East Millinocket, Michaud gave his own victory speech at a smoky Hamlet Pub, where he was greeted by about 75 sign-waving supporters.

“I am one of you,” said Michaud, in front of a pool table covered with his campaign signs.

“Congress needs to listen to the common sense of the average people,” he said.

It was a raucous homecoming for Michaud, a papermaker who saw overwhelming victories in his hometown and neighboring mill towns Millinocket and Medway, where, in heavy turnout, he picked up 1,287 votes – more than 10 percent of his statewide total.

Michaud also fared well in Oxford and Aroostook counties, the latter of which he won by a better than 5-to-1 margin over his closest competitor.

Longley, a teacher and daughter of the late Gov. Jim Longley, offered her concession speech Wednesday afternoon at a news conference in Lewiston, where Longley narrowly prevailed in her heavily Democratic hometown.

Longley rolled over her competitors in Waldo County, where she lives now, with the early results Tuesday showing the two Senate colleagues going back and forth in the lead. In the end, however, the unofficial tally had Michaud in front with 31.2 percent of the vote compared with Longley’s 27.3 percent.

“While I am willing to concede the election, I am not at all willing to concede health care as the single most important issue on Maine citizens’ minds,” said Longley, who congratulated Michaud.

The two candidates emerged from the six-way Democratic primary, in which former state Sen. Sean Faircloth of Bangor finished third with 20.2 percent of the vote.

State Sen. John Nutting of Leeds, who led the party’s fund-raising efforts, finished with just 12.7 percent of the vote. That means if the dairy farmer spent all of the $292,000 he raised, he paid a whopping $59 per vote.

Political newcomers David Costello of Lewiston and Lori Handrahan of Sorrento received 4.5 percent and 4.2 percent of the unofficial vote, respectively.

With control of the U.S. House in the balance, both national parties are expected to pump substantial dollars into the November race. The 2nd District winner will replace four-term U.S. Rep. John Baldacci, a Democrat who is running for governor.

“Both the Republican and Democrat are bona fide, credible candidates and both are going to attract significant national attention,” said Bowdoin College political science professor Christian Potholm.

In Maine’s 1st Congressional District, third-term Democratic incumbent Tom Allen had no primary opposition. Also unopposed was Republican challenger Steven Joyce, a former state representative from Biddeford.