Tonight I’ll be keeping track of DeSantis, who, despite several campaign shakeups and a steady slide in both national polls and early state surveys remains the second-place contender in the GOP primary, and who will appear at center stage this evening. DeSantis didn’t have a breakout moment last debate, though he may have been hobbled by the embarrassment of his Super PAC publicly releasing his entire debate strategy just beforehand. This time around, he may need to make a larger splash to re-convince voters he’s the best (or only) alternative to Trump. The other candidates are now nipping at his feet — he’s not even polling second in New Hampshire and South Carolina anymore — and if he becomes just another member of the pack he could lose whatever luster he has left. He’s already (started taking shots at Haley)[], who had one of the better-reviewed first debate performances and who has seen some movement in the polls. With seven candidates on stage, he’ll have limited time to make his move. Will he finally go after Trump more forcefully, or does he feel enough pressure from below to focus on Haley and the others?

—Analysis by Jacob Rubashkin, 538 contributor

I'm closely monitoring Vivek Ramaswamy. The self-proclaimed outsider made a big splash during the last debate, garnering more media attention and generating higher Google search interest than his rivals. This triggered speculation that he might experience an upswing in the polls. However, his numbers have exhibited a consistent downward trend over the last month. It's plausible that the very characteristic that initially captivated debate viewers — his confrontational and too-smart-to-be-here style of arguing — may have, ironically, alienated the average Republican voter. I'll be looking for any shifts in his rhetorical approach or substantive positions during tonight's proceedings. Like his fellow candidates, Ramaswamy needs a substantial strategic maneuver to reshape the trajectory of his campaign.

—Analysis by G. Elliott Morris

I’m monitoring Pence tonight, and I’ve got to be honest: I don’t know how much he can do to increase his standing in the primary other than hope that other candidates implode. During the last debate, he had plenty of speaking time and, given Trump’s hatred for his former vice president, a pretty strong reception from the Fox News crowd. But still, nothing substantially changed. Voters expected him to give an average performance, and he pretty much delivered. He’s averaging less than 5 percent in national primary polling.

It’s not clear where Pence has room to grow. He’s better known than any candidate on tonight’s debate stage, and voters seem to have decided how they feel about him. If he’s a second-choice to similar candidates — others who, say, share his dislike of Trump but would nonetheless support him in a general election — Pence could benefit from a smaller field. So, the best thing Pence could do might just be to stay the course, continuing to get enough support to appear on a debate stage and waiting out lesser-known and underfunded candidates.

—Analysis by Leah Askarinam

I’ll be monitoring Haley and Christie tonight, who have taken different approaches to arguing for the Republican Party to move beyond Trump. While Haley has been somewhat critical of Trump, Christie has aggressively gone after him. Not coincidentally, Haley remains relatively well-liked among GOP voters, unlike Christie, who is persona non grata to most. I’m interested to see how Haley will seek to balance criticism (indirect or direct) of Trump with efforts to play to base voters, especially in polls of . As for Christie, I’m watching for how other candidates will use him as a foil to demonstrate their pro-Trump bona fides.

—Analysis by Geoffrey Skelley

At several points during the second hour of the debate, it got particularly heated between former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and someone she appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2013: Tim Scott.

Haley first went after Scott for not completing what he touted as his economic policy accomplishments.

“I appreciate him. We've known each other a long time. But he's been there 12 years and he hasn't done any of that. He has, they've only given four audits on time,” she said.

Then came a heated back-and-forth before Haley repeated, “Twelve years, where have you been? ... Bring it, Tim.”

The two also fought over Haley’s gas tax in South Carolina.

“​​I would love to finish my conversation with Nikki as it relates to the job that needs to get done. Nikki offered a 10-cent gas tax increase in South Carolina. Talk about someone who has never seen a federal dollar,” Scott said.

Haley then told Scott to do his homework regarding the spending and gas tax in South Carolina. He responded, “just go to YouTube.”

Haley ended the exchange by telling Scott that he was “scrapping right now” (as in scrambling).

“You are scrapping right now, you are scrapping. You know, I fought taxes, I cut taxes, I took care of South Carolina and you know it.”

They then got into a rift over a set of over $50,000 customized curtains for the State Department in the official residence of the ambassador to the United Nations. Haley was the first to live in the new residence.

–ABC News’ Abby Cruz, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Isabella Murray