Former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote a piece Tuesday for Newsweek predicting that Kamala Harris will be the Democratic nominee to face Donald Trump in 2020. Gingrich's opinion came after the first round of Democratic debates, where 20 candidates took the stage over the course of two nights.

"Kamala Harris had the best debate of the 20 people on stage," Gingrich wrote. "She had the best one-liner. She had the most commanding presence. She felt the most energized and best prepared."

Gingrich worked as a political analyst for Fox News after his failed presidential run in 2012. Before that, Gingrich was the representative for Georgia's 6th district for 20 years, from 1979 to 1999.

Gingrich's analysis comes as polls following the first debates show Kamala Harris surging into second place behind former Vice President Joe Biden. Harris was seen as the winner of the Thursday night debate after a heated confrontation with Biden about his stance on anti-bussing politics and comments that he made reportedly praising segregationist senators.

"This was post-debate, and we have a long way to go," Mary Snow, polling analyst at the Quinnipiac University Poll, said to CNBC. "It's six months before any presidential nominating contests. So we always want to keep that perspective."

Gingrich's analysis of the primary says the final stretch will come down to two of the debate's stronger performers, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Harris.

"It looks like the finalists in the struggle for the Democratic nomination for president may be two senators — one from each coast. If this is the case, the choice may come down to Warren's icy intelligence versus Harris's passionate crowd pleasing," Gingrich wrote. "I would bet on Harris winning that showdown."

This analysis may spark some excitement, but Gingrich quickly went back to his right wing talking points in a separate appearance Wednesday on Fox News, where he predicted a 2020 Trump re-election.