Clinton claims lock on nomination ‘by Tuesday’ in Hub visit

Hillary Clinton promised donors last night she’ll have the Democratic nomination “locked up” by next week and called on her backers to convince Bernie Sanders supporters to unite — even as a new poll showed the Vermont senator pulling to within 2 points in California.

“By Tuesday — at the latest — I will have locked up the nomination,” Clinton said during a fundraiser at the Westin Boston Waterfront with rock star Jon Bon Jovi last night. “I want you to reach out to everyone you know who supports Senator Sanders and talk about how important it is to unify.”

But a Wall Street Journal/ NBC News/Marist poll last night showed Clinton leading Sanders by just 2 points in California, 4947 percent. It’s the second survey in the last week to show Clinton’s advantage cut to 2.

While observers expect Clinton to secure enough delegates to win the nomination by Tuesday, a Sanders victory in California would give the progressive upstart reason to keep fighting on to the convention.

“It’s a dilemma for Hillary Clinton because she could lose California and materially it doesn’t matter, but the optics aren’t great,” said unaligned Democratic strategist Scott Ferson. “Her risk is that it turns into 1980, where it’s buyer’s remorse for the nominee and she’s not able to recover in the general election.”

Attorney General Maura Healey and Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey both spoke at the Clinton fundraiser, which featured a divider separating bigdollar donors from those contributing less.

“This is not a reality TV show ... where you can say, ‘You’re fired,’ ” Clinton told donors. “That is not the way a democracy works.”

Bon Jovi performed an acoustic version of “Livin’ on a Prayer” and read from a piece of paper: “We’ve come too far to let our morals fall into the wrong hands. ... We need someone who can unite us, not divide us. ... I want to be proud of my country when I travel abroad.”