Martin O'Malley says the Democrats are still the party of diversity (despite having 3 white candidates)

The Democratic Party likes to call itself the party of inclusion that embraces an America that is becoming less white every year. But eight years after nominating the country’s first black president, the party’s field of candidates for the nation’s highest office is once again all-white.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is one of those white guys seeking the Democratic nomination, but he believes the Democratic party is still the party of diversity in the U.S.

“If you look at our caucus in the Congress, you will se a far greater amount of diversity at the State of the Union on our side of the aisle when President Obama speaks tomorrow than you’ll see on their side,” O’Malley said during the Iowa Brown and Black Forum on Monday.

O’Malley did say that he felt there had been a concentration of power in the Democratic party that limited some candidates from ever being properly vetted.

Of the three Democratic candidates actively campaigning, O’Malley has the least diverse staff, according to numbers released by the campaigns. Clinton and Sanders list more than 30% of their staff as people of color, while O’Malley stands at around 17 percent, according to October reports released by the campaigns. O’Malley’s campaign is also significantly smaller than the Clinton and Sanders operations, with only about 41 staffers according to its October report.

O’Malley defended his campaign diversity numbers, saying he only had staff in Iowa and New Hampshire, which are less diverse than other states on average.

Across the aisle, the Republican Party, which is struggling to gain support from minority groups, has two hispanic candidates and one black candidate. Still, polls show that black and hispanic voters are more likely to support Democratic candidates.