AUGUSTA, Maine: Mitt Romney held an early lead in presidential preference voting among Maine Republicans as the first returns from caucuses were counted on Saturday.The former Massachusetts governor had 59 percent of the vote with 3 percent of the towns holding caucuses reporting. Libertarian-leaning Texas Rep. Ron Paul was trailing at 19 percent, while Arizona Sen. John McCain, had 18 percent.

Among Republicans, McCain, the veteran senator and former Vietnam prisoner-of-war, has emerged as the clear front-runner heading into Tuesday’s virtual national primary with voting in 21 Republican contests.

Romney is pressing on with his campaign despite a painful loss last Tuesday to McCain in Florida’s primary, and hoped to get a slight boost from Maine.

The nonbinding caucus votes were taking place in public schools, community centers, fire stations and town halls, and attendance was said to be heavy statewide.

Cars jammed the parking lot outside the Augusta elementary school where Kennebec County municipalities were caucusing. Inside, speeches were being given on behalf of candidates as around 300 party members listened and cheered.

Kim Pettengill, who has been a Republican activist for more than three decades, said it was the largest Kennebec caucus turnout since 1980. State party officials report similarly heavy turnouts in other counties.

Republican caucuses are being held in about 410 Maine municipalities, and most of them on Saturday. The nonbinding caucuses are the first step toward electing 18 Maine delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Maine’s Democrats will hold their caucuses a week later.