WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Ten of the twenty-four major Democratic presidential candidates took the stage Wednesday night in the first of what will be many debates in the race for the party's nomination.
The candidates participating in the first half of the two-night event included well-known contenders such as Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and former Congressman Beto O'Rourke, D-Tex.
Lesser known candidates such as Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Congressman Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and former Congressman John Delaney, D-Md., also took the stage seeking to make a name for themselves in the crowded field.
The wide-ranging debate showed broad left-leaning agreement on key issues such as healthcare and immigration but also some significant differences.
Notably, Castro sought to take O'Rourke to task on the nuances of immigration policy, with political analysts arguing the only Latino in the race won the debate over an issue the former Congressman has made a central pillar of his campaign.
Gabbard also seemed to benefit from a performance in which she frequently mentioned her military service, with the Congresswoman becoming the most searched candidate on Google by the end of the debate.
The debate was also described as a victory for Warren, the top polling candidates on the stage, who continually spouted her populist message without catching much flak from the other contenders.
However, the NBC-hosted debate will also be remembered for several technical issues that even caught the attention of President Donald Trump.
'@NBCNews and @MSNBC should be ashamed of themselves for having such a horrible technical breakdown in the middle of the debate. Truly unprofessional and only worthy of a FAKE NEWS Organization, which they are!' Trump tweeted.
The two-night event continues on Thursday in a debate headlined by former Vice President and frontrunner Joe Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Senators Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N,Y., and Michael Bennet, D-Col., Congressman Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, author Marianne Williamson and businessman Andrew Yang will also take the stage.
(Photo: Lorie Shaull)
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