With the general election less than two weeks away, the race is heating up for the three candidates competing for Broome County district attorney.

Paul Battisti (R), Michael Korchak (L), and Debra Gelson (D) answered questions about mental health and the opioid crisis on Wednesday.  

Thirty-three people have died from drug overdoses this year in Broome County. That's already two more deaths than last year.

The candidates say mental health may be the underlying issue.

But each one would handle it different way.

"You can't force anyone to participate in any program unless they really want to do it 100 percent so it's a matter of educating individuals that need the help that the help is there for them, but it's a matter of getting them to take advantage of it,” Korchak said.

"We need to identify our children at risk,” Battisti said. “We need to change the way that the story is going. Because we can't repeat the same manner in which we failed our last generation.”

"There's so many individuals out there who are battling mental health who are not getting the help they need,” Gelson said. “As a result they're acting out and a lot of times we see them become members of the criminal justice system.”

Early voting starts this Saturday.

Election Day is November 5.