BANGOR – Sounding his campaign’s familiar “Jobs is job one,” mantra, 2nd Congressional District Republican nominee Kevin Raye on Friday outlined his economic plan for the struggling region.

“One of the greatest challenges we face in the 2nd District is that of preserving existing jobs and creating good new ones to give our young people the opportunities they need in order to stay here and carve out their lives,” said Raye, whose 10-point plan called for the opening of foreign markets and improvements to the district’s transportation infrastructure.

The plan’s release comes in the midst of a heated battle with Democratic nominee Mike Michaud, the state Senate president pro tempore, in the tight race to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. John Baldacci, who is running for governor.

With less than six weeks to go before Election Day, most polls suggest the contest is well within the margin of error, with Michaud holding a slim lead over the Republican Raye and more than 20 percent of voters still undecided.

National party officials are keeping a close eye on the race, which has prompted a free flow of campaign dollars from both parties and frequent coverage from national media outlets.

After trailing the Michaud campaign Thursday, a reporter from The New York Times sat in on Raye’s Friday news conference at Maine Distributors in Bangor, where the former aide to U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe outlined his economic plan after receiving the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

The plan calls for transportation improvements including funding for a study of an east-west highway, which Raye called a “crucial component of economic development in the 2nd District.”

The plan also calls for Maine to receive an increased share of federal research and development funding, more than $100 billion of which was available in 2002.

After reviewing Raye’s plan, Michaud aides jumped on the GOP nominee’s support of Trade Promotion Authority, which grants the president the ability to negotiate trade deals without congressional oversight other than an up-or-down vote on the final agreement.

Michaud press secretary Monica Castellanos blasted the so-called “fast-track authority” as contradictory to fair trade.

“We’ve lost over 22,000 jobs in Maine because of unfair trade,” Castellanos said, citing Michaud’s 28 years as a millworker in the state’s struggling forest products industry. “Mike will fight for fair trade because he’s seen what unfair trade looks like … in East Millinocket.”

In recent weeks, Michaud and Raye have sparred frequently in the press, and will next meet face-to-face on Oct. 5, when the two will debate in Bangor.

Among the likely topics in the debate will be support for a minimum wage increase likely to be on Congress’ agenda in the next session.

As part of his “Women’s Equity Agenda,” released Thursday, Michaud said he would co-sponsor legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage to $6.65 an hour.

Raye on Friday said he would “follow the debate” around a minimum wage increase and support an increase if economic times allowed.