Running for office is tough. The three main questions that come to mind are, How much money do you have? How much money can you raise? How do you plan to win? You need to nail down those three things, in that order to come up with winning strategy. You platform will come down to two or three big issues. Go for it if you can afford it and get the money. I would say Republican because at the state level it is a lot harder to get things done as an independent. Just my suggestion. Good luck