North Carolina Democrats have begun to plan their strategy for the 2016 election cycle, and their plans are being engineered by a new state party chairwoman. Patsy Keever joins host Donna Martinez to discuss the Democrats’ challenge in North Carolina in the wake of multiple electoral losses to Republicans and why Keever believes her party’s message will resonate, particularly with the middle class. Keever also criticizes Republican policies, talks about the races her party will focus on, and acknowledges that Democrats must reach out beyond its traditional constituencies of single women and minorities in order to win back power. Then Martinez delves into changes afoot at the state Republican Party as well. Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson tells Martinez about GOP Chairman Claude Pope’s decision not to run for a second term, the Gaston County Republican who has earned key endorsements for the post, and the hiring of a veteran political operative to assist the party. The two also discuss the complaint filed against Gov. Pat McCrory by the liberal advocacy group Progress North Carolina, new national handicapping of Sen. Richard Burr’s re-election prospects, and comments made by former Sen. Kay Hagan about why she lost her race to Thom Tillis.