Here are the Democrats who gained and lost the most in the first 2020 presidential primary debate

Twenty Democratic presidential candidates had their first chance to square off on the same stage this week.

A handful of them took steps that could help them stand out in the jammed field — while others struggled or gained little ground on a crowded debate stage.

Some of the race’s early leaders met expectations as contenders. Candidates such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg earned plaudits in surveys and from pundits.