Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will make a campaign stop Thursday in Springfield in an event billed as "Springfield Veterans for Romney," according to his campaign.

Romney will campaign at the American Legion Post 176 at 11:50 a.m. at 6520 Amherst Ave. in Springfield. His vice presidential running mate Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, visited Springfield on Aug. 17.

The American Legion Post event is reportedly by invitation only.

President Barack Obama will also be visiting Virginia on Thursday, stopping in Virginia Beach.

Although most polls show Obama ahead in the state, University of Virginia's Larry Sabato said in an article Wednesday on CNN.com that "...Romney and his team have to exceed expectations in many ways and run the near-perfect campaign that has eluded them so far. That's very hard to achieve, but American electoral history is dotted with astonishing comebacks that defied the predictions of experts. It is not impossible that 2012 could record yet another."

For more Patch coverage on the presidential election campaigning see:

• Mitt Romney Visits Fairfax City
• President Obama Campaigns at Centreville High
• Paul Ryan Visits West Springfield
• President Obama Campaigns in Woodbridge
• Ann Romney, GOP Women Rally for Mitt
• Michelle Obama Speech at Mary Washington