NEW YORK -- It was billed as an event supporting New York's newly passed $15 an hour minimum wage law, but so much more was clearly at stake at a rally at the Jacob Javits Convention Center Monday morning.

It had all of the trappings of a Hillary Clinton for President campaign rally, and, according to many close observers of national and New York politics, that campaign atmosphere was vital to Clinton's chances of winning in November.

None other than Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave he introduction to the special guest at the rally to a convention center room packed with union workers waving Hillary for President signs.

"Let's give a warm New York welcome to the next president of the United States," Cuomo announced, kissing the former New York senator before she took the podium.

In every way, the message was that New York would ensure that Clinton fulfilled her destiny to be president. The need for such a message is critical at this point in her campaign, as is noted by many people who analyze politics for a living.

"If she can't show that she can win her own primary in her home state, it will be perceived as a sign of weakness," said Morgan Pehme, PIX11 News political analyst.

He said that the former secretary of state, who until recently was expected to walk away with an easy win in the state she represented in the senate for eight years, is now in a tough spot here.

"Especially if she doesn't prevail in Wisconsin, where Bernie Sanders is now ahead in the polls," Pehme said in an interview, "she not only needs to win, she needs to dominate."

Clinton appears to have lost momentum. She lost the last five primaries in a row, by significant margins, and in the next contest, in Wisconsin on Tuesday, she had, on average, polled 30 points ahead of Democratic rival Bernie Sanders for a full year, until last month.

That's when Sanders began to pull ahead. He now leads Clinton in the Badger State by five points, according to an average of polls compiled by RealClearPolitics.com.

Part of the reason for Sanders's success has been his championing of workers' causes, including opposition to the country's free trade deals with other North American nations and with Pacific Rim countries.

Another cause for which Sanders has long advocated is a $15 minimum wage. All the more reason why Clinton was brought in to the rally supporting that very cause in New York on Monday.

Clinton had also been nearly 30 points ahead of her Democratic opponent -- 27 percent, on average -- until a month ago. Now, she's still ahead, but by only 11 percent, according the RealClearPolitics average.

A lower percentage could be politically dangerous for her, according to the analyst.

"If Hillary Clinton underperforms," said Pehme, "Donald Trump will make the case that he can win in New York [in the general election], which no Republican has done since Ronald Reagan."