Democratic socialist Francesca Hong narrowly lost her bid in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. It should be a reminder to other insurgent candidates that a strong, outsider ground game isn’t enough. Winning also requires some insider sensibilities and pragmatism.

Her loss on Tuesday should also be a much-needed rebuke to an emboldened movement that claims to represent working-class voters, even as it draws much of its support from latte liberals.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a centrist who could become Wisconsin’s first Black governor, won with 39.8% of the Democratic primary vote to Hong’s 39.4%, with 98% of districts reporting. His upset victory came after weeks of chaos in the race. It also came after Hong, 39, stumbled down the stretch, making odd media appearances and leaving the GOP with an ever-expanding menu of ways to attack her. Perhaps Republicans should have concealed their glee, which may have helped drive mainline Democratic voters to coalesce around Crowley. One poll showed that two-thirds of Democrats said winning in November was important to their choice.

Hong proved that she could build a youth-powered movement driven largely by personality, not unlike former President Barack Obama. But Obama knew that breaking a cultural, generational and racial barrier called for a level of perfection, nuance,........

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