Local supporters prepare for second presidential debate

The Sunday night debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump comes with less than a month before Election Day. Partisans on both sides are hoping their candidate can make a strong statement.

“They'll know it's not the status quo, this is something different, and they'll make up their minds this evening that Donald Trump is the one they want for president" Kraig Andrews, chair of the Mesa County Republicans.

"Talking about the issues, talking about her stance on different policies, and how she's going to help make this country a better place when she’s president of the U.S," said Bryan Walsh, a field organizer in Grand Junction for the Democrats.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have been on the campaign trail for well over a year now.

“Unfortunately it's the lesser of 2 evils type of situation America is in right now," said Brittany Stanley, a visitor to Grand Junction.

Local organizers feel the second presidential debate will be a pivotal one.

"Hoping that America can really get an in depth view of each candidate, so they can see Donald Trump as not a political machine, they can see he really has a heart and desire for America," said Andrews.

"It's going to be a fierce battle between two folks who have very different visions for the country," said Walsh.

With Election Day just 30 days away, tuning in and focusing on the issues are more important than ever.

"One is the economy, especially here in Western Colorado, oil and gas, our mining, our energy industry, that is one of the huge ones," said Andrews.

“It's how we are able to dive deeper into what the candidates think and feel and what plans they have for the country," said Walsh.

Over the weekend a series of recordings from 2005 were released revealing derogatory comments Trump made about women.

Many Colorado politicians are now pulling their support for the nominee, leaving many with questions about where the race goes from here.

"Speechless, just speechless," said Walsh.

“It doesn't make me feel good as a woman to hear someone say that about another woman," said Maya Freismuth, a Grand Junction resident.

And despite his negative words, Trump supporters remain in his camp.

"Ten years ago before he was running for office, in a private conversation. Things that he said were not the greatest, but it was 10 years ago," said Andrews.

Sunday's town hall style debate will be the second of three between the two major party nominees. Each candidate will address the same set of questions, asked by members of the audience. The Gallup organization selected the audience members as representative undecided voters.