Those hoping for an underdog candidate to run away with Tuesday night’s debate did not get their wish. The winners — at least in the initial assessment — were the night’s two front-runners, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Lower-polling candidates did have their moments, though none outshone the top two. The self-help author Marianne Williamson got applause, and a huge surge of attention online, for her comments on racism and reparations. Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., drew a forceful contrast with President Trump. Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana, on the debate stage for the first time, made a case for himself as a voice of moderation.