As we look ahead to November’s elections, Huntington-Belle Haven Patch is devoted to bringing you the information you need about every race in town. Here's our start on the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near. Bookmark this page for updates.

U.S. President

President Barack Obama: The president will try to repeat his 2008 victory in the Old Dominion. Though it's an uphill climb, Obama is leading his likely GOP opponent Mitt Romney in the money chase.

GOP Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney: Former Massachusetts Governor and presumptive GOP Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney appeared in Reston in February to campaign and speak on the country’s struggling economy. In March, Romney won the Virginia primary against Ron Paul.

U.S. Senate

George Allen: Former Gov. George Allen is fresh off Tuesday’s GOP Primary victory, in which he beat out E.W. Jackson, Del. R.G. “Bob” Marshall and Jamie Radtke for the nomination with 66 percent of the vote. And it looks like Allen will have help in his corner; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio stopped by Arlington Thursday to publically endorse Allen, telling Virginians that Allen’s vote in the Senate could be a deciding factor in passing tax reforms and more. During a visit to AOL’s Dulles campus in May, Allen said he was in favor of offshore drilling and expanding Dulles Metrorail into Loudoun County.

Tim Kaine: Former Gov. and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine will have a close race with his fellow former governor and opponent George Allen. Both candidates are well-funded and close in the polls. Kaine has told Patch he believes cancelling George W. Bush’s tax cuts for the rich is one of many steps toward removing the “red ink” in Washington. Kaine has noted that helpful budget surpluses vanished while Allen was in the Senate from 2001 to 2007.

8th Congressional District

Jim Moran: Incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Moran is currently serving his 11^th term representing Virginia’s 8^th Congressional District. Moran took more than two thirds of the vote in the June 2012 Democratic Primary against political newcomer Bruce Shuttleworth and will face J. Patrick Murray, an opponent he defeated soundly two years ago, this November.

Patrick Murray: Retired U.S. Army Col. Patrick Murray, an Alexandria Republican, is seeking to represent the 8th Congressional District — despite an unsuccessful bid to unseat incumbent Rep. Jim Moran two years ago that cost $1.3 million. In announcing his bid, Murray criticized Moran for not doing enough to curb spending or ease gridlock and for being "hyper-partisan."

Jason Howell: Arlington native Jason Howell has no previous political experience, but that’s not stopping him from running as an independent for the 8^th Congressional District seat. Howell is a published author and motivational speaker who believes that a lack of independents in the House of Representatives creates “gridlock.”