As we look ahead to November’s elections, Clark-Garwood Patch is devoted to bringing you the information you need about political happenings in Clark, Garwood, Union County — and beyond.

Here's our opening salvo in our coverage of the candidates and issues we'll be following as November draws near. Bookmark this page for updates.

The biggest race in Clark will be for the mayorship. Councilman Rich Kazanowski (D) will attempt to unseat incumbent Sal Bonaccorso (R). Bonaccorso has served as mayor since 2000. Kazanowski has been involved in Clark politics since 1992, when he was appointed to fill a vacant council seat. He lost his place on council twice over the years, but has served consecutively since 2006. Kazanowski has never run for mayor before and is the only Democrat on council. Read more about that race in our story from April, here.

In Clark, there are also three available council seats up for grabs. The terms of Republican incumbents Angel Albanese, Al Barr and Sheila Whiting are up this year, but only Albanese and Barr are running again. They'll face newcomers Michael Altman, Michelle Novak and Phil Laskowski. Check back next week for our story on those candidates.

In Garwood, two council seats are up for grabs. The terms of Keith Sluka (D) and Timothy Hak (R) are up this year, but only Hak will run again. Hak is joined by Carol Kearney on the Republican ticket. Kearney ran and lost in the 2011 elections but had promised to run again. They'll face Democrat challengers Bill Nierstedt, a longtime Planning Board member, and Mike Wilson. Check back soon for a detailed story on those candidates.

Clark and Garwood are also located in the 7th Congressional District. Locals will be choosing between incumbent U.S. Representative Leonard Lance, a Republican, and challenger Upendra Chivukula, a Democrat. It will be an uphill battle for Chivukula: Lance won his primary race against David Larsen handily. Chivukula has banded with other Asian Congressional candidates to enlist support for his campaign.

Local residents will also get to vote for either State Senator Joseph Kyrillos (R) and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D) in the race for one of the two U.S. Senate seats representing New Jersey — currently held by Menendez. Kyrillos has already gone on the attack against Menendez in his primary election victory speech, calling Menendez a "mediocre" senator and stating, "Our unemployment rate, our soaring national debt, our out-of-control spending—these are all getting worse because of policies that Senator Menendez supports." In a statement on primary election night, Menendez said, he looked "forward to a campaign that will focus on and discuss the differences between us in an honorable way."

Keep watching Patch for coverage through November!