Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, former NASA astronaut and Navy veteran Mark Kelly, were in Tucson Sunday to hold a political rally.
The thunderstorms didn't stop a political rally in downtown Tucson this afternoon. Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords hosted a town hall for gun safety.
"This was a great turnout, and in the rain. People didn't mind getting wet because they feel so passionately about this election," said Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick.
Dozens of people packed into a small space outside Hotel Congress to hear Arizona's candidates talk about gun safety. Rain soon pushed the crowd inside to finish hearing the speeches.
"Its about awareness, it's about people seeing other people. One, so they understand that they're in a community, that the issues they're fighting for a lot of other people are connected to. We got to get them fired up," said gubernatorial candidate David Garcia.
Giffords and her husband Captain Mark Kelly are traveling around the nation to support candidates running on gun safety platforms.
"We've got 150,000 people get shot every year in our country. 36,000 die. Since columbine we've had about 150,000 children shot with a firearm. We are like no other country in the world on this. And what has this congress and the previous congress and the one before that done? Nothing," said Kelly.
Attorney General candidate, January Contreras agrees. She wants to see and enact change.
"I think that Arizonans, that I've been meeting all around the state, especially here in Tucson, are really ready for leaders who can make action happen," said Contreras.
Florida will be tomorrow's next stop on Gifford's and Kelly's tour.
Giffords was shot Jan. 8, 2011 in a mass shooting at a meet-and-greet event.
She was left partially paralyzed by the shooting.
Among those killed were 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green, U.S. District Court Judge John Roll and Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman.
Gunman Jared Loughner was sentenced in 2012 to life in prison.
Giffords retired from office in 2012 and has since been devoted to promoting stricter gun regulations.
