ALBANY — Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders ticked off reasons why he believes the U.S. economy is "rigged" at the Washington Avenue Armory and sharply criticized his rival in the primary, Hillary Clinton.

In front of a raucous Albany crowd, the Vermont U.S. senator implored supporters to turn out on Tuesday, April 19, when Sanders is taking on Clinton in her adopted home state of New York, where Clinton served as a U.S. senator.

"Let us next week have the highest voter turnout in the history of New York State," Sanders said, noting that his campaign has been successful so far in high-turnout states.

More than 4,000 people packed into the Armory, and about 2,000 more tried to attend but were unable to get in.

"Let me apologize to the 2,000 people outside who couldn't get in, we appreciate it," Sanders said.

Sanders trails Clinton in the race to line up enough delegates for the Democratic nomination, but has gained momentum in recent contests, winning seven of the past eight; winning in Clinton's adopted home state would be a significant coup.

Sander blasted hydrofracking, the national leadership's priorities on the wealthy rather than the downtrodden, and the prison system. He called campaign finance reforms, noting that he has no super PAC (unlike Clinton) and the average of the more than 6 million donation he has collected is $27. Sanders also again called for Clinton to release the transcripts of three speeches she gave before Goldman Sachs, for which she was compensated $225,000 each.

"It must be a brilliant, earth shattering speech," Sanders said, adding it must be, "Written in Shakespearean prose."

Clinton, as the former secretary of state in the Obama administration, has more foreign policy experience. But Sanders criticized Clinton's 2002 vote in favor of invading Iraq, which Sanders voted against. Sanders said he didn't buy the rationale put forward by George W. Bush's administration for the invasion: That the country had weapons of mass destruction.

"I listened closely, I did not believe them, I voted against the war in Iraq," Sanders said, adding that Clinton heard the same evidence. "She voted for that disastrous war."

Sanders said the top 10th of one percent of Americans own almost as much at the other 90 percent. He used the wealth of the Waltons, the family behind the Walmart chain, as one of his examples.

"We are not a poor country, we are the wealthiest country in the history of the world," Sanders said. "But most people don't know that."

In the hour-long speech, Sanders railed against hydrofracking and methane releases. "We need to put an end to fracking ... in every state in the country." He said he was proud his state of Vermont for having the nation's first fracking ban, he saluted opponents in New York and the movement proceeding all across the country because of a "growing body of evidence that it is a danger to our water supply."

"We must be serious about safe and clean water," he said.

He also backed a raise in the minimum wage to $15 an hour all across the country.

He called the criminal justice system in America "broken."

Sanders said there are more people in jail in the U.S. than any other country and America spends $80 billion a year to lock up 2.2 million Americans — a disproportionate number of them being minorities.

"We will not have more people in jail than any other country ... We will get to the root causes of these problems and address them," he said.

He called for demilitarizing local police departments, having police forces that reflect the diversity of the community they serve and an end to corporate ownership of prisons and detention centers.

"The truth is that today we have a corrupt campaign finance system which is undermining American democracy" because of billionaires, Wall Street and special interests, Sanders said to cheers.

He said the African American community asks how the country can spend trillions of dollars on an unneeded war in Iraq and give billions in tax breaks to the wealthiest people in this country — but supposedly doesn't have the resources to rebuild inner cities.

"Brothers and sisters if we make it to the White House we are going to change our national priorities," he said.

Hundreds of people lined up on Washington Avenue Monday morning in anticipation of the 2 p.m. speech.

"This campaign is about asking people to think outside of the box and challenge the status quo and understand that the status quo doesn't have to continue to exist ... we can change it," he said inside.

Sanders comes to Albany as he tries to convince voters to back him over Clinton in the April 19 Democratic primary.

"I wouldn't vote for Hillary for anything in the world," says Krista Marshall, 45, who lives in Putney Vt.

Sanders arrived at Albany International Airport at about 12:30 p.m.

"Grannies for peace" chanting outside security as it starts to drizzle pic.twitter.com/RAx0G3egBg — Lindsay Ellis (@lindsayaellis) April 11, 2016

"Grannies for peace" chanting outside security as it starts to drizzle pic.twitter.com/RAx0G3egBg — Lindsay Ellis (@lindsayaellis) April 11, 2016

People were bundled in warm clothing as they stood in the rain but the atmosphere was festive. Cars were honking their horns as they sped by on Washington Avenue. Some Sanders supporters were chanting slogans as they stood in line.

Supporter Angela Veeder, 18, chanted "Feel The Bern" steps away from the Armory. "This is, like, bigger than seeing Beyonce," she said.

Line for @BernieSanders rally now quite literally around the block - as in circumferential: pic.twitter.com/JZZ0KocQfA — Capitol Confidential (@TUCapCon) April 11, 2016

James Richards, 27, has sold gear for 6 mos. "So far this is the biggest rally I've been to in NY, for Bernie" pic.twitter.com/lS1wjOcVe1 — Lindsay Ellis (@lindsayaellis) April 11, 2016

Cider Belly doughnut shop was giving away pastries named after Sanders.

Alan Martell, 44, Bethlehem and his children were the first people in line. They arrived at 5 a.m. to see a candidate Martell described as a "once-in-a-lifetime candidate."

Supporters gather outside the armory booed as Republican candidate John Kasich's bus drove by for a private event at the Fort Orange Club in Albany.

Clinton, who was in Cohoes a week earlier, leads Sanders in polls of New York voters but her lead has shrunk.

Sanders is one of three candidates appearing in the Capital Region on Monday.

Republican candidate John Kasich will be at the LaSalle Institute in Troy at 2:30 p.m. and then at the Saratoga Spring City Center at 5:30 p.m.

Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner, will be at the Times Union Center at 7 p.m. Monday.

Daniel Joseph, 39, of Albany: "Every time someone I know is for Hillary, it's someone who doesn't follow politics." pic.twitter.com/JGeHG6xbAN — Lindsay Ellis (@lindsayaellis) April 11, 2016

Scott Varney, a Sanders volunteer, instructs folks how to vote for Sanders and his delegates pic.twitter.com/SZm5EJIPZy — Lindsay Ellis (@lindsayaellis) April 11, 2016

Sanders' supporters booed and shouted "Bernie!" as Gov. John Kasich's tour bus drove by them about 11:45 a.m. Kasich was headed to a private event at the Fort Orange Club in Albany.