Twenty Democratic presidential candidates debated over two nights last week. Local Democratic leaders weighed in on who performed best.

Local Democratic leaders appear to be taking a shine to the more progressive presidential candidates in their party, based on their reactions to last week's debates in Detroit.

“Clearly Bernie (Sanders) and (Elizabeth) Warren won the (first) night,” said R.J. Sheedy, a member of the Milford Democratic Town Committee. “I really think it was their ideas against everyone else’s. I really like their teamwork on the issues and that they didn’t take the media’s bait in knocking each other down.”

Sheedy noted that while moderators from CNN were calling the debate “Bernie vs. Warren,” he said “it really wasn’t.”

“It was Bernie and Warren vs. everyone else,” Sheedy said. “I really think they held their own, and Bernie was really strong and clearly had the line of the night with, ‘I wrote the damn bill.’”

The quote was the Vermont senator's response to U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio saying that Sanders "didn't know" if his universal health care bill would cover all of senior citizens' needs, including dental care and eyeglasses.

Darlene Hayes and Amy Ritterbusch, both of the Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee, said Warren performed even better than Sanders.

As for the second night, Hayes said New York U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro “both sound good, but neither has a shot.” She added this is also the case for former Texas U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Ritterbusch and Sheedy said Hawaii U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard performed best, with Sheedy saying he was “impressed with her attack on (California U.S. Sen.) Kamala Harris’ (record as a prosecutor in California).”

Sheedy noted that New Jersey U.S. Sen. Cory Booker also did well, citing his stance on criminal justice issues and his arguments against Biden, and was impressed by Castro's views on immigration.

By contrast, first-night debaters John Delaney, a former Maryland congressman, and Ryan, said Hayes, “should just walk away.”

Sheedy and Ritterbusch agreed.

“Delaney was horrible, he just kept getting owned all night,” Sheedy said.

Warren’s comment – ‘I don't understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can't do, and shouldn't fight for’ – was “a really strong moment,” Sheedy said.

“Also, with Tim Ryan and his 'You don’t have to yell' line at Bernie – I don’t know why his campaign thought that was a good thing to run with,” Sheedy added. O’Rourke and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota were “forgettable,” and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper “have to absolutely go,” Sheedy said.

“He’s going nowhere. He’s just wasting everyone’s time at this point,” said Sheedy of Hickenlooper.

Ritterbusch said Biden performed worst during the second night, with Sheedy calling his performance “weak.”

“I wasn’t as impressed with Kamala (Harris) as I was the first time around,” he added. “Her and Joe Biden’s back-and-forth seemed to last about 10 minutes during the beginning of the debate."

Hayes agreed, noting she was deterred from supporting Biden or Harris as they started “biting at each other,” calling the first night “more constructive.”

Sheedy said former vice president Biden seems “out of touch,” characterized by his confusing closing statement about “Joe30330” – referring to texting.

Ritterbusch said health care was her top issue, saying Sanders talked best on it. But she also said she would have also liked to hear a candidate advocate for background checks for gun purchases.

During the first night of the debates, moderator Jake Tapper said that polls indicate Democratic voters want a candidate "who can beat President Trump more than they want a candidate who agrees with them on major issues."

“Yes, absolutely,” said Ritterbusch.

She thinks the majority of the primary candidates would do a good job if elected, but the “minutia of their exact proposals is not as important to me as a good quality candidate who can beat President Trump.”

Hayes agreed – she also wants someone who can beat Trump.

The field figures to shrink for the third Democratic presidential debate, set for Sept. 12 at Texas Southern University. Eight candidates have qualified so far - Biden, Booker, Buttigieg, Harris, Klobuchar, O'Rourke, Sanders and Warren.

Lauren Young writes about politics, social issues, and immigration. Reach her at 315-766-6912 or lyoung@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on twitter at laurenatmilford.