One of the first women to accuse failed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of pursuing her when she was a teenager has announced she is running for office, spurred by the power of the #MeToo movement.

Deborah Gibson, a small business owner in Delray Beach, Florida, helped the Washington Post break the story of Mr Moore’s alleged abuse of underage girls last October. Now, she is using her new-found notoriety to propel her towards the state House.

“I think that the touch point of last autumn for me was, ‘Ok, that's a point in history, but what are the action steps so that it isn't lost in the fray? So that it isn't a six-hour news cycle that we get tweeted out of?” she told The Independent.

For Ms Gibson, a talkative 54-year-old who still maintains traces of her native Alabama accent, the answer was clear: Get more women into office. That’s why she’s mounting a bid to replace Republican Representative Bill Hager, who will reach his term limit in 2018 – and encouraging other women to follow suit.

"I absolutely encourage other women to run,” she said. “But I would say that the person running needs to have a pretty thick skin, because the media will see what you're made of."

Roy Moore accuser Leigh Corfman says he 'seduced me'

Ms Gibson knows the pressure of media scrutiny well. She was one of the first people to tell the Post that Mr Moore had pursued her as a teenager – though she stipulated that the relationship was consensual, and never progressed past kissing. Other women, however, claimed Mr Moore had sexually abused them as minors. He has denied all allegations against him.

When the allegations began straining Mr Moore’s campaign, Ms Gibson says she started receiving hate mail – and even death threats – from his supporters. She filed a police report in December claiming she had received messages threatening to “get her,” and warning she would “get hers,” according to the Palm Beach Post.

Republican candidate Roy Moore told supporters his senate race was "not over" (Getty)

But Ms Gibson was not deterred by the abuse for long. She now believes that many detractors of the Me Too movement – which brought forth sexual abuse allegations against everyone from Mr Moore to film producer Harvey Weinstein – don’t understand what the moment is truly about. The accusers, she said, are not asking for all men to be fired or thrown out of office.

"We're just asking to step into our equality,” she said. “[And] I thought, ‘Well why don't I?’"

Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Women’s March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty

Many women appear to be asking themselves similar questions. Rachel Crooks – one of more than a dozen women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct – is running for the state legislature in Ohio. She told Cosmopolitan she decided to run, in part, because she felt like her story had been ignored in the 2016 election.

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

Mr Trump has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.

Nearly 500 women have announced their intention to run for Congress this year, according to data compiled by Politico – up from the 312 who filed to run in 2016.At least 47 women have declared their intent to run for the 17 available gubernatorial seats.

This surge of new faces entering politics does not come without its missteps. Ms Gibson experienced her own growing pains when she switched her party registration from Republican to Democratic in February. Under Florida state law, candidates must be registered in a party for a full year before running in its primary.

Ms Gibson has had to shift her strategy and run without a party affiliation, meaning she will skip the primaries and go straight to the general election in November. Despite these hiccups, she remains optimistic about getting more women to run.