First Republican Presidential Debate PRE - SHOW

Republican debate: Who were the winners and losers?
US election 2024
Ron DeSantis (left) and Vivek Ramaswamy (right)

The first Republican presidential debate was a rowdy affair that saw the eight candidates leap headlong into heated exchanges.

There were some who thought it would be boring without Donald Trump - the ultimate showman - but that was decidedly not the case. The former president may have been the life of the party during primary debates back in 2016, but the eight rivals who travelled to Wisconsin proved they could bring some excitement without his help.

Some candidates stood out from the pack, however - and some seemed to languish on the side-lines.

Here's a rundown of the winners and losers.

WINNERS
Vivek Ramaswamy: The man who never ran for public office - and didn't even vote for a president from 2004 to 2020 - simply dominated this Republican debate.