The surprise primary victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over a high-ranking Democrat has given fresh energy to a longstanding debate about how the left should relate to elections and the Democratic Party. As the campaign of Bernie Sanders did during the 2016 presidential election, Ocasio-Cortez’s victory has excited many about the prospects for the left at a time when Trump and the right are winning on so many fronts. So how should socialists approach elections in the present period? What strategy and tactics will simultaneously advance the agenda of social movements, build the left, and strengthen a political alternative independent of the Democratic Party?