The choice between Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE and Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Bernie Sanders warns of 'nightmare scenario' if Trump refuses election results Harris joins women's voter mobilization event also featuring Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda MORE (I-Vt.) for the Democratic presidential nomination is a choice between "crony capitalism" and the "proven failure of socialism," former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley told reporters on Tuesday.

"There are profound differences in this race — the economy we build is a product of the choices we make," he said after a meeting with the House Democratic Caucus.

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"And between the sort of crony capitalism, Wall Street capitalism, and an economy of the few, by the few and for the few, and the proven failure that is socialism, there is a better way forward. And it is fair market American capitalism where when people work hard, they are able to get ahead.”

When asked by The Hill if he believed that Democrats faced that exact choice in the primary, O'Malley said flatly: "Yes."

The former Maryland governor met with Democratic lawmakers after their weekly meeting in the Capitol building. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), the only lawmaker to endorse O'Malley, introduced him ahead of his speech. O'Malley said he's not expecting any more congressional endorsements in the immediate future, but that he is further down the road as voters begin to make up their minds. "I certainly asked all the members if I could not today be their first choice, I would like today to be their second choice and I look forward to their support in the future," he told reporters about his message at the meeting. He went on to emphasize the gulf between the candidates when asked about immigration, a key issue in his campaign. "So Sen. Sanders has a big vulnerability, as does Secretary Clinton, on the issue of immigration. Theirs is the old thinking that prevents us from getting this done," he said. He specifically panned Sanders for voting against comprehensive immigration reform in 2007, and for arguing that immigrants take American jobs. Then, he turned his criticism toward Clinton, noting that she recently used the term "illegal immigrant," a moniker frowned upon among immigration advocates for criminalizing the person instead of the action, and accused her of voting on both sides of that 2007 bill, which he called "true to form."

Last week, in a Noticias Telemundo Facebook Q&A , Clinton vowed to refrain from using the term.