AUGUSTA, Maine -- Mitt Romney won the presidential preference voting context by Maine Republicans on Saturday in the party's municipal caucuses, which were heavily attended across the state.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, had a little over half of the vote with about two-thirds of the towns holding caucuses reporting. John McCain worked to keep his vote above 20 percent, trailed by Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee.

The nonbinding votes, the first step toward electing 18 Maine delegates to the Republican National Convention, were taking place in public schools, Grange halls, fire stations and town halls across the state.

Despite a sleet storm the night before that left much of the state coated with slush and ice Saturday morning, cars jammed the parking lot outside an Augusta elementary school where Kennebec County municipalities were caucusing.

Signs promoting the candidates were jabbed in snowbanks, and inside the school gym speeches were given on behalf of candidates as around 300 party members listened and occasionally broke into cheers.

Kim Pettengill, who has been a party activist for more than three decades, said Saturday's was the largest Kennebec County caucus turnout since 1980, the year Ronald Reagan won his first GOP nomination for president.

Party Executive Director Julie O'Brien said other counties reported similarly heavy turnouts. In coastal Damariscotta, O'Brien said she counted about 400 people packing the meeting at the Great Salt Bay School, and local organizers said it was the biggest turnout they had seen.

In Portland, Maine's largest city, more than 250 Republicans showed up for a caucus on an afternoon that turned bright and sunny, and a big majority threw their support behind Romney.

McCain was seen as picking up support in Maine following consecutive wins in South Carolina on Jan. 19 and Florida on Tuesday. Paul was also seen as a potential winner given his strong organization in Maine and appeal to the state's independent-minded voters.

Besides Paul, who visited Maine on Monday, Romney was the only candidate to show up or send a surrogate to campaign as the caususes drew close. His oldest son Tagg campaigned Friday and appeared at caucuses Saturday.

At the Portland caucus, McCain supporter Roy Lenardson said Maine Republicans may have been thumbing their noses at neighboring New Hampshire, home of the first-in-the-nation primaries where Romney lost to McCain.

"Maine is one of those places you can't peg. Just because New Hampshire does something, it's almost a guarantee that Maine will choose another route," said Lenardson.

Republican caucuses were being held in about 410 Maine municipalities, most on Saturday. A few dozen towns, especially in northern Maine's Aroostook County, held caucuses Friday, and a few more were set for Sunday and later this month.

The Maine Democrats hold their presidential preference votes at municipal caucuses on Feb. 10.