Annette McDermott: Democrats need to step up

If one thing from 2016 is clear, it’s that the North Carolina GOP is willing to burn the house down rather than participate in a functioning democracy.

Instead of accepting a Charlotte city ordinance intended to make transgender people feel welcome, they vilified the LGBT community with House Bill 2. Instead of honoring their agreement to repeal HB2, they refused to allow other cities to pass similar ordinances. Instead of conceding defeat gracefully and ushering in a peaceful transition of power, former Gov. Pat McCrory fed the public with conspiracies about voter fraud, and the state legislature stripped power from his successor.

Their shameful actions brought national attention to our state, revealing the reactionary and vitriolic nature of the NC GOP.

The question of 2017 is whether Democrats can push back, starting with the 2017 state legislative races. We have a chance to actually be fairly represented in the State House and break the Republican super majority.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s swearing in the first moments of the new year was a sigh of relief in the midst of a tense political scene, but Democrats have to decide: Will Roy Cooper be the exception, or the rule in 2017?

This story was originally published January 6, 2017 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Annette McDermott: Democrats need to step up."