Across the nation, Democrats are “Feeling the Bern,” after Bernie Sanders’ resounding victory in the New Hampshire primary on February 11th, besting Pete Buttigieg by over 4,000 votes. In his victory speech on Tuesday in Manchester, Sanders took a shot at President Trump and moderate Democrats:

“Tonight, New Hampshire sent a message that working people are ready for a political revolution in this country,” Sanders said. “This is what it will take to defeat Donald Trump. This victory isn't about me; it's about us. Tonight is about what our supporters, volunteers and grassroots donors built in New Hampshire.”

A new poll released February 19th, by the Washington Post and ABC NEWS, shows a massive uptick in support for Sanders, who now leads the crowded Democratic field by double-digits.

The poll also confirms the middling, albeit staying power of Warren, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar (polling at 12, 8, and 7 percent respectively) and further illustrates the flagging support for former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign, falling from 32 percent to 16 percent. But the other real takeaway from the Washington Post - ABC NEWS national poll, is Bloomberg’s continued ascendancy, surging from 8 to 14 percent. Bloomberg’s campaign is ramping up attacks on Sanders, with Bloomberg’s campaign manager on Monday emphasizing their more aggressive posturing:

“At this point, the primary is Bernie's to lose, and ours to win.”

A larger fight between Sanders’ progressive wing and Bloomberg’s centrists is on the horizon, and for the Democratic candidates, the party, and the nation, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Within the Democratic Party, there is a significant ideological divide between progressives like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have been railing for decades against America’s plutocratic tendencies, and centrist politicians like Bloomberg, who adamantly believes that radical change will ostracize independents and moderate Republicans. Never has this divide become more apparent than now, as Sanders and Bloomberg consolidate support and set the stage for an epic ideological showdown.

Sanders, for his part, has been preparing for this moment his whole life--an opportunity to face-off with a billionaire and hold his feet to the fire. Bloomberg, on the other hand, enters the race as a pragmatic force, ready and willing to show the American people how progressives’ rigid idealism is a recipe for disaster in the general election against Donald Trump, who both sides will agree must be defeated at all costs.

Tonight’s debate in Las Vegas, 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT, will be the first time Sanders and Bloomberg face each other head-on.