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It was a huge week in North Carolina politics as candidate announcements and filing rolled in as the official filing period got underway. You’ll hear Gov. Pat McCrory officially declare his intention to seek a second term as the state’s chief executive. So far, McCrory hasn’t drawn a primary challenger. On the Democratic side of the ledger, two candidates are already saying they’re in. You’ll hear part of the official announcement, made several weeks ago, by Attorney General Roy Cooper, as well as part of a conversation host Donna Martinez had earlier this year with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ken Spaulding. Then, in this week’s edition of “On The Trail,” Martinez gets perspective on the gubernatorial race from Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson. He talks about the Cooper-Spaulding matchup as well as the filings so far in the U.S. Senate race where Richard Burr is seeking another term. The two also discuss the announcement made by the NC NAACP about a new push to register voters ahead of the 2016 election and another retirement announcement from a North Carolina Senate heavyweight: Sen. Tom Apodaca. Then Martinez begins a focus on judicial candidate races. She talks with incumbent Court of Appeals Judge Valerie Zachary about why she’s running for a full term on the state’s second highest court. Zachary was appointed earlier this year to the seat of retiring Judge Sanford Steelman. She talks about her background, her philosophy, and the challenge of campaigning for a statewide seat. So far, Zachary and two others have filed for the seat she now holds. Abe Jones and Rickey McKoy-Mitchell are also in the race.