Online media Politico takes a look at North Carolina politics — forecasting that in 2014, the Democrats may face a fight in defending Sen. Kay Hagan's seat.

Katie Glueck cites Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and notes the recent gains by Republicans in the state, with Pat McCrory becoming the first GOP governor "since the 1980s" and the GOP controlling both the House and Senate:

As North Carolina Democrats come to terms with across-the-board losses they suffered on Election Day, they are also gearing up for a 2014 fight to defend Sen. Kay Hagan, said Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, one of the state’s most visible Democrats.

“It’s gonna be one of the biggest Senate races in the country,” said Foxx in a Saturday interview with POLITICO. “And that’s going to be a fight.” ...

“I think it’s incumbent on North Carolina Democrats to do what national Republicans are doing, which is to huddle up and figure out what happened and to think about what the implications are and what needs to happen going forward to build a case for progressive politics in North Carolina,” said Foxx ...

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/foxx-hagan-race-a-test-for-nc-dems-86444.html#ixzz2IWrEwqSC