Ten Democrats have clashed in the first TV debate of the race to oust President Donald Trump from the White House.
Liberal firebrand Elizabeth Warren, who has been gaining momentum, took centre stage at the heated forum in Florida.
Candidates sparred over healthcare and immigration, and a couple of underdogs gulped much-needed political oxygen with a few well-timed zingers.
Ten other Democrats in the crowded field, including Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, will battle on Thursday night.
Millions of voters were expected to tune in for America’s biggest political debates in years.
The eventual Democratic White House nominee will be crowned at the party convention in July next year, before the presidential election in November.
The line-up for both debates was chosen at random by NBC, with Wednesday night’s field consisting of:
- Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren
- New Jersey Senator Cory Booker
- Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke
- Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
- Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard
- Washington state Governor Jay Inslee
- New York Mayor Bill de Blasio
- Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan
- Former Maryland Congressman John Delaney
- Former Obama housing secretary Julian Castro
In the two-hour debate in Miami, the candidates at times engaged in shouting matches as they vied to grab the limelight.
Ms Warren, who has been surging in opinion polls, was one of only two contenders to say she supports replacing private medical insurance with government-run healthcare.
Taking aim at her rivals, Ms Warren drew loud applause as she said: “There are a lot of politicians who say, ‘oh, it’s just not possible’… what they’re really telling you is, they just won’t fight for it.”
“Well, healthcare is a basic human right and I will fight for basic human rights.”
Only New York Mayor Bill de Blasio backed her.
But Senator Amy Klobuchar said: “I am just simply concerned about kicking half of America off of their health insurance in four years.”
John Delaney also warned against such a policy.
