(WHTM) -- With one day left to make their final pitch to voters ahead of the May 17 primary general election, candidates made their way out across the state, including United States Senate candidate Carla Sands who attended a gun-rights rally.
"Every day is a day for the second amendment," Sands said. Including, Sands says, the Monday after a weekend of mass shootings, including one in Buffalo, New York.
"None of these tragedies trump our Second Amendment rights. We hold this right dear, along with all of our constitutional freedom, our constitutional rights," Sands said. She says the gun wasn't the problem.
"The family knew, the community knew. They should have stepped in and a mental health expert should have helped and intervened in this situation," Sands said.
Democratic State Senate Leader Jay Costa says he is astonished. "And to think that a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate is going to talk about gun rights on Monday, today, after the weekend after is astonishing and just simply irresponsible."
Costa says that the conversation should be focused elsewhere.
"We should be talking about gun reform measures. We should be talking about the hate crimes that have spewed some of this stuff that's taken place. That's what we should be talking about and having rallies around those types of things," Costa said.
Costa's district in Pittsburg includes the Tree of Life Synagogue, which was the scene of another hate-related mass murder. "And every time it happens, they have to relive it," Costa said. "And it's just frustrating that we're going to be out there today in Mechanicsburg talking about promoting more guns."
A supporter of gun rights, and of Sands,s says times like this are exactly when you need to know which politicians support gun rights. Anthony Terrace remembers his days in the United States Air Force.
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"You could have a gun strapped to you. So just like I do here, and I think it's not necessary in a way. But I think everybody should still have that right to carry their arms," Terrace said.
Sands is one of even Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, all strong supporters of gun rights. All four Democratic Senate candidates support more gun control, to varying degrees.
The primary election is on Tuesday, May 17. To see who is running for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat, click here.
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