RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Democrats say they are beginning 2018 energized and intent on regaining control of the state’s General Assembly, harnessing anger over President Trump’s presidency and buoyed by Democratic victories elsewhere.

Democrats have already fielded an unusually large pool of candidates for 100 seats in the 170-member Legislature.

Official candidate filing doesn’t start until February, but Democrats hope to contest each seat in November.

Republicans used a similar strategy in 2010 to seize control of both chambers for the first time in 140 years. They’ve held veto-proof majorities since 2013, allowing them to impose a right-leaning agenda that included broad tax cuts, abortion restrictions, and taxpayer-funded grants for children to attend private schools.

They also passed the state’s ‘‘bathroom bill,’’ later partially repealed.

While Democrats regained a bully pulpit when Governor Roy Cooper narrowly defeated GOP incumbent Pat McCrory in 2016, they’ve still been unable to stop the GOP agenda because most of the Democratic governor’s vetoes were overridden.

Republicans acknowledge the Democrats’ momentum but point out that November is months away.

They say their record of cutting taxes and regulations has paid dividends through economic growth and low jobless rates.

Trump won the South in 2016, save for Virginia, but his margin over Hillary Clinton in North Carolina was less than 4 percentage points.

With the GOP holding a 75-to-45 majority in the North Carolina House and 35-to-5 Senate advantage, Democrats would need to flip 16 House seats and 11 Senate seats to take back the Assembly.

Associated Press