The top five Democratic contenders faced each other in Las Vegas Tuesday night in what was the party's first debate leading up to the 2016 Presidential election.

The debate, which took place at the Wynn Resport in Las Vegas, brought two leading contenders as well as three minor candidates, all who hope to lead the nation after the 2016 elections.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb all appeared on Tuesday night's debate, answering question from Anderson Cooper, Dana Bash, Juan Carlos Lopez and Don Lemon.

CNN opened up the debate with a message from President Barack Obama and followed it with an energetic introduction, announcing the face-to-face showdown between Clinton and Sanders. O'Malley, Webb and Chafee were more of an afterthought.

With Clinton standing in the middle of the other Democratic contenders, the candidates started introducing themselves. However, Sanders was the first to go off script and started addressing issues right off the bat, mentioning unemployment of black and Latino youth. He also mentioned climate change, campaign reform and justice reform, themes that would surface later in the night.

Clinton, after mentioning a brief work history, also jumped into the issues, mentioning climate change, raising minimum wage, tax reform, paid family leave, women's equality, among other issues. Cooper, the debate's moderator, wasted no time, jumping in with a question directed at Clinton's recent flip-flopping on various issues.

"Do you change your political identity based on who you talk to?" Cooper asked, pointing out her changes on same-sex marriage, immigration reform and trade deals.

"No," Clinton countered. "I'm a progressive that likes to get things done," she asserted after being asked whether she is a moderate or progressive. She also pushed the idea that she has "evolved" on issues before also explaining that she works with Republicans and gets things done.

"I don't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to progressive experience and progressive commitment," she added.

Turning to Sen. Sanders, Cooper pointed out that about half the country would not vote for a socialist. "How can a socialist win?" Cooper continued, highlighting his support for the Sandinistas, a blast from the past. Sanders countered with an explanation of what a democratic socialist is and what he stands for, including healthcare for all.

"Republicans win when there is a low voter turn out. We are bringing out huge turnouts" and bringing excitement, Sanders added. When asked if he is a capitalist, the Vermont senator said he isn't a "casino capitalist" but supports small and medium business rather than corporations.

Switching to the lesser three candidates, Cooper confronted Chafee on his changing party affiliation in the recent years. He then asked O'Malley about his time as Baltimore mayor and how his zero tolerance policy may have affected the city. Lastly, he asked Webb about his stance on affirmative action, which Cooper called "out of step" with the Democratic Party.

Both Chafee and Webb struggled to answer this first question but O'Malley succeeded in defending his record, setting the template for the rest of the night.

Sanders' first stumbles came soon after with Cooper's questions on gun control. Sanders voted against the Brady Bill and other gun control laws, prompting Cooper to ask whether gun companies should be shielded from lawsuits after mass shootings.

Sanders highlighted that he has a D-minus rating from the NRA and believes in closing gun sale loopholes as well as enhancing mental health care to prevent shootings. In reference to the bill that would allow for gun companies to be sued, Sanders called it a "large and complicated bill" and he did not want small gun shops to be held liable.

Clinton took the opportunity to jump on the senator's record and said he was not tough enough on guns. O'Malley also jumped on, pointing out how as Maryland governor he passed comprehensive gun legislation despite opposition from within his own party. He also proudly highlighted his F rating from the NRA.

In an attempt to counter O'Malley, Sanders pointed out he lives in a "rural state" rather than an urban one. However, O'Malley rebutted, pointing out that rural parts of his state sided with the legislation.

Webb, who had an A from NRA, supports common sense gun legislation, including more background checks but added that people should be able to protect themselves.

Jumping from gun control to foreign policy, Cooper brought up Russia. "Did you underestimate the Russians and what would you tell Putin after the move to Syria?" Clinton, though she supports the president's stance in the Middle East, added that "we have to stand up to his bullying, especially in Syria."

Sanders took a different tack and opposed pushing the U.S. to be stuck in another quagmire like Iraq, which was the "worst foreign policy blunder." When question on when he would use military force, Sanders said he would when "our country is threatened or when our allies are threatened," pushing for a coalition rather than unilateral action.

O'Malley also cautioned against a quick push for a military response. A no-fly zone in Syria now "is not advisable" since Russian aircraft are involved, though Clinton pointed out we already have planes flying over the area.

The focus of the debate then shifted, leaving Webb and Chafee behind. Webb pointed this out and then argued China posed the greater threat, forgetting the administration's shift to Asia. However, he did defend Sanders in one regard. Cooper asked Webb if he believed Sanders should be commander in chief if he, during the Vietnam War, was conscientious objector. Webb, a veteran of the same war, defended his colleague's decision.

As the debate shifted once again, a topic that has been a thorn on Clinton's side came up: the email scandal. "I've taken responsibility for it, I did say it was a mistake," Clinton said, before calling out the Benghazi panel as a partisan attempt to bring down her numbers "as admitted by the House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy."

Cooper then asked Sen. Sanders's opinion, who had enough about the emails. "Let's talk about the real issues facing America," he said as the crowd cheered. "The American people are sick of hearing about your damn emails."

The first social media question came and it was about the Black Lives Matter movement, asking whether "black lives matter or all lives matter."

"Black lives matter," he said plainly. "We need to combat institutional racism from top to bottom." O'Malley also agreed, as did Clinton. However, the former secretary of state did not explicitly say, "black lives matter."

"We need a new, New Deal for families of color," she told the crowd.

As the debate continued, questions shifted to income inequality and then immigration reform. On the former, Sanders stated his support for equal pay for women, raising the minimum wage, and making public college free. Here is when Sanders can shine, as his platform has centered around income inequality, and the Vermont senator railed against the great gap between the richest and the poor.

O'Malley also shone in this time and called for reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act, which limited commercial bank securities activities and affiliations within commercial banks and securities firms. He also said he raised the minimum wage in Maryland.

Clinton, however, opposes restoring the 1930s law and instead wants to cover everyone, including what she called "shadow banking." The Glass-Steagall Act also came up with Chafee, who voted to repeal it back in 1999. When confronted, Chafee tripped up and blamed it on his recent arrival and the death of his father. Sanders countered saying he opposed the bill's repeal.

"Dodd-Frank was a good start and must prevent the Republicans from breaking it up," Clinton said on the first attempts to control Wall Street following the Great Recession. She also added that social security should help the most vulnerable and she will defend it from GOP attacks.

Lastly, one of the biggest issues of the night was immigration. Cooper asked Sanders why Latinos should trust him since he voted against the 2007 immigration reform bill. Sanders defended himself saying he did not agree with certain language in the bill that would limit the freedoms of immigrant workers. He added that he wants to take people out of the shadows.

"I'm for a generous, compassionate United States," O'Malley said, adding that he wants Obamacare for all immigrants. Clinton said she'd want all children to have healthcare and pointed out that she had met with some DREAMers and asked for others to do the same. She also said that as president she would continue the president's executive orders. But, when asked about granting undocumented immigrant youth in-state tuition, she would not give a concise answer. It would be up to the states.

O'Malley, on the other hand, passed Maryland's version of the DREAM Act and called out the Republicans, especially Donald Trump, calling them "carnival barkers" for their racist comments during the debates and campaigns.

The Democratic debate, though full of gaffes mostly thanks to Webb and Chafee, did show amiability and a willingness to discuss the issues. Unlike the Republicans, who devolved into petty squabbling as well as insults to voters, the Democrats presented their ideas and openly debated each other.

Gov. O'Malley probably said it best:

"On this stage, you didn't hear anyone denigrate women. You didn't hear anyone make racist comments about new American immigrants. You didn't hear anyone speak ill of another American because of their religious belief. What you heard instead on this stage tonight was an honest search for the answers that will move our country forward."