We wanted to know exactly what it was like to run for office after changing parties. So we spoke to Cassandra McDonald, a candidate for state representative in Ohio. The 45-year-old native of the Buckeye State started her political career by engaging in community activism — as a Democrat. But now, she's running for office in western Ohio's 8th District as a member of the GOP.

In an interview over the phone, McDonald detailed her reasons for switching parties, her viewpoint on where there's common ground between Democrats and Republicans, and whether she plans to support the Republican nominee for president, Donald J. Trump.

What initially attracted you to the Democratic Party?

"I think, pretty much, it was tradition. It wasn’t like I did research on it or anything like that. It’s just, growing up, as an African-American female, I was raised as a Democrat.

"The funny thing is my mom didn’t really participate in elections and things like that. But I was always a person who was attuned to what was going on with society. And again, everybody voted Democrat. So I said, 'Oh, I’m going to vote Democrat.'"

When did you first start to question whether the Democratic Party was right for you?

"I just pretty much started looking at the things that I wanted to see happen — and I started comparing them to what was happening. I looked at the philosophy behind things. I looked at the value structure behind the Democratic Party. Then I started to look at the Republican Party, and I started to do the same thing.

"And I found a lot of my values pretty much mirrored the Republican Party in the sense that — I feel that everyone has an opportunity. Pretty much, in this world, only the strong survive. There are opportunities. They may not be getting there the way you thought you should get there, but I think everyone can make their way in this world regardless of their circumstances. And I consider myself a prime example of circumstances."

How did you make the switch?

"I was at the Board of Elections and I had the Democratic petitions in my hand to run as a Democratic candidate. But I just didn’t feel right. I said, 'You know what — I’m really thinking about the Republican Party.' I was also thinking about being an Independent, because my thinking is so different from both parties. When it comes to the principles, I’m definitely more Republican. But I’m very liberal, in a sense.

"I’m at the Board of Elections turning in my petition, and I’m just not feeling good in my gut. I don’t want to do this. And I [thought], I don’t have enough time to run out and collect more for another party.

"So I get a phone call, and it’s someone who ran for a mayoral seat in the city of Cleveland. She’s very well-known, and also an African-American woman. And she said, 'You’re a Republican.' She [said], 'I heard a lot about you, and you have to run on the Republican ticket, and I will help you.' So I had two days to collect signatures for that petition. I decided, I’m going to go for it.

"We also need the representation on the Republican side, as far as African-American issues. Because I think that what’s lacking in the Republican Party. So I wanted to bring a fresh ambiance, for them understanding, not just what it means to be African-American, but to be a person who — yeah, many of the things they think we need to make changes to, I’ve experienced it. To me, it gave an opportunity for people to look at the Republican Party differently."