LAS VEGAS (AP) — From the opening bell, Democrats savaged New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg and raised pointed questions about Bernie Sanders’ take-no-prisoners politics during a contentious debate Wednesday night.

The aggressive confrontation in Las Vegas threatened to further scramble the party’s urgent quest to defeat President Donald Trump in November. Bloomberg, the former New York mayor, was forced to defend his divisive record on race, gender and Wall Street in his debate-stage debut.

Sanders, appearing in his ninth debate of the 2020 primary season, tried to beat back pointed questions about his health and his ability to defeat Trump as a self-described “democratic socialist.”