Democratic Senate candidate Sam Granato blasted his potential Republican opponents Thursday for supporting renewed nuclear weapons tests, saying he will be "on the front lines" of the fight to ban weapons tests.

"Utahns have a long and sad history when it comes to nuclear testing and the tragic fallout it causes," said Granato, a Salt Lake businessman. I do not support nuclear weapons testing near Utah or anywhere else."

This week, both contenders for the Republican nomination -- attorney Mike Lee and businessman Tim Bridgewater -- said they would support new underground nuclear weapons tests.

Thousands of Utahns, who became known as Downwinders, were stricken with various forms of cancer as a result of radioactive fallout from Cold War weapons tests. The United States unilaterally suspended its weapons testing in 1992.

Both Lee's and Bridgewater's fathers were Downwinders.

When asked about nuclear testing on Wednesday, Granato was vague, saying it "isn't something I support," but he could support it under certain circumstances, but was not specific about those circumstances. On Thursday, his campaign issued a statement opposing the testing.

"There is no state that knows this better than Utah. We received the brunt of nuclear testing for too long," Granato said.

-- Robert Gehrke