AUGUSTA – Kevin Raye’s 410-vote election night lead over Tim Woodcock shrank by 61 votes Tuesday as a recount of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District Republican primary election began.

A recounting of ballots from Franklin and Oxford counties, as well as from the four 2nd District towns in Kennebec County, resulted in a net loss of 31 votes for Raye and a net gain of 30 votes for Woodcock, according to state election officials.

The recount was scheduled to resume Wednesday.

“It doesn’t need to take more than a few days,” said Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky, whose office is supervising the recount inside a state police garage.

But Gwadosky said that given the number of municipalities involved, the recount would probably take until at least the end of the week.

“We will take whatever time is necessary to ensure that both candidates are satisfied with the process and the results,” he said.

State police gathered ballots from the June 11 voting in 390 municipalities.

Raye, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe from Perry, and Woodcock, a former Bangor mayor and one-time aide to former U.S. Sen. William Cohen, led a four-candidate field seeking the GOP nod for the open 2nd District seat.

Election night totals were 11,870 for Raye, 11,460 for Woodcock, 8,022 for state Rep. Stavros Mendros of Lewiston and 7,383 for former state Rep. Dick Campbell of Orrington.

The Democratic incumbent, U.S. Rep. John Baldacci of Bangor, is running for governor.

Voting in this month’s Democratic primary gave the Democratic congressional nomination to state Senate President pro tem Michael Michaud of East Millinocket.

Michaud led a six-candidate Democratic field with 31 percent of the vote, according to incomplete, unofficial returns.

As the recount proceeded Tuesday, the counting teams were examining ballots in batches of 50 at a time.

“It is a very deliberative, methodical process,” Gwadosky said.

New tallies of Franklin County balloting gave both candidates fewer votes than were recorded on election night.

In a recount of Farmington ballots, Raye’s total dropped from 249 to 232, according to state election officials, while Woodcock’s total dropped from 151 to 145.

The recount starting date was chosen in consultation with the candidates, officials said.

According to state election officials, Maine’s last congressional election recount was held after the 1st District general election in 1974, upholding Republican David Emery’s victory over Democrat Peter Kyros.

Under Maine law, a request for a recount by a second-place finisher in an election routinely triggers one. A candidate making such a request may be required to put up a deposit of as much as $1,000, but no deposit is required if the differential under review is less than 2 percent.