Newt Gingrich will always be revered by loyal – and aging – Republicans for engineering the GOP’s takeover of Congress back in 1994. Yep, that was the Contract with America era.

Since leaving the House in 1999, Gingrich unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, but has been most visible as a TV political commentator.

Now, he’s getting involved in New Jersey.

“Speaker Newt Gingrich, quarterback of the Republican Revolution that catapulted the GOP to power after 40 years of Democrat control in Washington, has endorsed ‘Trumpy Mayor’ Mario Kranjac for Governor in New Jersey.”

That was Tuesday’s statement from the Kranjac campaign.

The mayor of Englewood Cliffs, Kranjac announced his candidacy a few weeks ago. He appears to be getting in the game a bit late, but not according to his campaign, which says that no one in the 4-person field has distinguished themselves.

Those candidates are Jack Ciattarelli, Jon Bramnick, Bill Spadea and Ed Durr.

The campaign statement referenced an Emerson College poll that said 47 percent of Republican voters are undecided. The statement also ridiculed a “lackluster debate that left many Republican voters disheartened and looking for someone new. ”

In fairness, the debate may have been wild, a bit crazy and full of insults, but it was not “lackluster.” It was actually a lot of fun to watch.

But back to Newt.

“Mario has a proven record of winning tough races in a Democrat town,” Gingrich said in a statement. “He governed as President Trump does: with courage and conviction.  And, he was reelected by an even wider margin – just like President Trump. He’s the only choice for New Jersey Republicans.”

By any objective analysis, you have to take endorsements like this with a grain of salt. Are primary voters going to consider Kranjac because of the Gingrich endorsement?

Hard to say. But the endorsement does generate publicity, which, naturally, is the point.