Bob Jordan

@BobJordanAPP

TRENTON Circle June 7 on your calendar. New Jersey’s presidential primary on that date has suddenly taken on real significance.

Thanks to Donald Trump’s inability to run the table in Tuesday’s five-state primaries, Republicans are likelier to be headed to a contested convention — giving late-deciding states such as New Jersey and California a rare chance to make a difference in picking a presidential nominee.

“Trump could have generated unstoppable momentum had he won both Ohio and Florida. But now it’s clear to everyone that this will go right through June 7, the end of the Republican primary season,’’ said Larry Sabato, head of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics.

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich won his home-state primary to keep Trump off a certain course to clinch the nomination before the Republican National Convention in July. Trump has a sizable lead in delegates over second-place U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, but with 19 states to go Trump “probably cannot get to the magic number of 1,237 delegates,’’ Sabato said.

Matthew Hale, a Seton Hall University political scientist, agreed. He said chances are good that New Jersey’s 51 delegates could play a role in whether Trump becomes a first-ballot nominee at the GOP convention, being held in Cleveland.

“Realistically some other dominoes have to fall into place with other states and June 7 is still a political lifetime away. A lot can happen,’’ Hale said. “But the odds that the New Jersey primary will mean something have probably never been better.’’

That isn’t likely to be the case on the Democratic side. Sabato called Hillary Clinton’s lead over Bernie Sanders “practically insurmountable.’’

How to participate in the New Jersey primary:

•If you’re a registered Republican on Democrat, you’re all set to vote in your party’s nominating contest.

•If you wish to switch affiliations you must act at least 55 days before the primary (April 13), if you wish to vote in your new party’s contest.

• If you’re not a registered voter, you have to enroll at least 21 days before the election (May 17).

Trump figures to do well in New Jersey — but not necessarily because the state’s Republican governor, Chris Christie, has endorsed him.

MORE:Christie skips trooper funeral to campaign for Trump

A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll three weeks ago found 38 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning registered voters in New Jersey have Trump as their pick for the party nomination. That was 27 points better than runner-up Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race Tuesday.

The polling took place before and after the New Hampshire primary. Christie dropped his own presidential bid Feb. 10, the day after his sixth-place finish in New Hampshire. When Rutgers polled in December, Christie was 16 points behind Trump.

Nonetheless, Hale said Christie’s endorsement is meaningful.

“Gov. Christie has had an absolute horrible time since he endorsed Trump. But he is still the governor and a very powerful one at that. So I wouldn’t be so quick to think Trump would keep him locked on a closet if New Jersey ends up meaning something,’’ Hale said. “It is mathematically possible the New Jersey could be the state that puts Trump over the delegate finish line. Gov. Christie would certainly crow about that one.’’

Christie endorsed Trump Feb. 26, but he wasn’t the first prominent office-holder in the state to move into the Trump tent. Mike Doherty, a state senator from Warren County, beat Christie to touting Trump by more than four months.

Doherty said he’s “confident Donald Trump is going to do well here and I’m looking forward to working for the campaign. Trump has significant New Jersey connections, including the three golf courses he has here, including one in my district (in Bedminster), and he’s a pretty amazing individual who’s really changed the political landscape.’’

There are also Trump National Golf Clubs in Colts Neck and Pine Hill.

Doherty predicted Trump will have little trouble making an argument for New Jersey Republicans to not side with pass on Cruz, his closest rival, thanks to Cruz’ voting in January of 2013 against the $51 billion package to help superstorm Sandy victims. However, many party county organizations, including those in Ocean and Monmouth counties, have held off on backing a candidate.

Republican leaders across New Jersey have been pressured to fall in line behind Christie’s support for Trump. Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore is expected to announce a decision after he meets with lawmakers and county officials at the party’s nominating convention in Toms River on March 30. Monmouth County GOP Chairman Shaun Golden hasn’t responded to inquiries.

New Jersey’s presidential primaries historically don’t matter because the party nominations are routinely secured by the time the Garden State holds its back-of-the-line contests.

New Jersey traditionally votes in June, with the 2008 cycle being one exception, when the Garden State was among a slew of states to move their elections up in the calendar.

New Jersey and California are among this year’s final six states to decide June 7.

The nominations aren’t formal until the national party conventions take place. The GOP affair is July 18-21. Democrats meet in Philadelphia July 25-28.

Trump has taken the position that the nomination should be and will be his, and has warned of “riots” in Cleveland if he's denied the nod.

Christie on Friday said Trump didn’t mean what everybody thinks he meant.

“I don’t think he meant literal riots. I think he meant political riots, and I think that is what would happen,’’ Christie said on Friday.

Christie has endorsed Trump and is one of the real estate tycoon’s top surrogates on the campaign trail. At a news conference at Trinitas Regional Medical Center on an unrelated topic, Christie walked back what Trump told CNN two days earlier.

“I think you’d have riots,” Trump said when addressing a Stop Trump movement among establishment Republicans designed to deny him the nomination at the convention in Cleveland. “I think you’d have riots. I’m representing a tremendous many, many millions of people.”

Christie agreed Trump supporters would be angry but stopped there.

“If someone goes in with the most delegates, the most votes, and then they’re denied the nomination by what are considered political insiders, I think there would be real upset at that convention. I think that’s what he meant,’’ Christie said.

“It would be great upset and tumult at that convention if someone comes in very close to the majority and by far and away the most delegates and is denied the nomination,’’ he added. “The party are the people who belong to the party and vote in the primary. It’s not the people in Washington, D.C., and on K Street and on Capitol Hill in those offices.’’

Bob Jordan 609-984-4343, bjordan@gannettnj.com