A woman who has publicly accused Donald Trump of forcibly kissing her when she worked at Trump Tower in New York in her early 20s has announced she is running for office.

Rachel Crooks’s allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump have been dismissed by the president, but she has a new approach to ensuring her message is heard – an attempt at a seat in the state legislature of her native Ohio.

The 35-year-old university administrator launched her campaign this week as a first-time candidate and a Democrat, after initially coming forward during the presidential election campaign.

“I think my voice should have been heard then, and I’ll still fight for it to be heard now,” she said.

Crooks is one of more than a dozen women who have accused the Republican president of inappropriate behavior in the past – allegations Trump has denied.

Her candidacy comes as women are speaking up about harassment and sexual assault in the workplace through the #MeToo movement.

Crooks said her interest in running for office went beyond her experience with the president.

“Like many Americans, I have become disgusted with politics today and the corruption that is rampant with donors and corporate interests. My situation with Trump … him not being willing to acknowledge his actions and his willingness to ignore what we had to say, that was sort of the last straw for me.”

Crooks has said she was a 22-year-old receptionist at Trump Tower in New York in 2005 when Trump kissed her repeatedly on the cheeks and then “directly on the mouth” during an introductory conversation.

Following Trump’s election and the Harvey Weinstein scandal, Crooks and two other Trump accusers went to Washington to ask Congress to investigate Trump’s actions. The White House repeated Trump’s denial of any wrongdoing and the investigation request went nowhere.

Uncontested in the primary, Crooks is challenging the Republican Bill Reineke for Ohio’s 88th house district, south-east of Toledo. She grew up in nearby Clyde, where she was a decorated high school athlete in volleyball and basketball, and she now works as an international student recruiter at Heidelberg University.