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The Democratic Governors Association appears to be conceding the N.C. governor's race to Republicans.

A DGA-funded liberal group supporting Democratic candidate Walter Dalton's is not running TV ads this week -- as hundreds of thousands of voters go to the polls -- and no commercials are scheduled to appear in the final week before the election.

A spokesman for N.C. Citizens for Progress, the group helping Dalton, said national Democrats have not abandoned the race entirely, but he acknowledged it is dark this week with no concrete plans to make future TV ad purchases. The group "is currently assessing the political landscape to determine its actions for the last two weeks of the campaign," said Michael Weisel, a Raleigh attorney with the Citizens group.

The Republican Governors Association pulled nearly all its remaining TV advertising in North Carolina, signaling its confidence that Pat McCrory is a lock in the governor's race.

The D.C.-based group planned to spend nearly $1 million on TV ads attacking Democrat Walter Dalton in the final two weeks of the election. But the RGA cut all spending on broadcast stations starting this week, media buyers reported Monday.

The Republican Governors Association is airing a TV ad in North Carolina that attacks Walter Dalton for his one-time support for a sales tax hike -- the third such commercial from the group on the issue.

The 30-second spot starts with a clip of the Democratic candidate for governor criticizing Pat McCrory's tax plan, saying it could lead to higher sales taxes. And then hits Dalton for previously supporting a three-quarter of a penny sales tax for schools pitched by Gov. Bev Perdue earlier this year.

With Pat McCrory sitting on a double-digit lead in the polls, the Republican Governors Association is trimming its spending on TV commercials in North Carolina, according to new data.

The move signals that national Republicans are confident that McCrory is a near-lock to win the governor's race and allows the RGA to spend more in closer races across the country.

The RGA cut $400,000 from its ad buy in the next two weeks starting Monday, independent media buyers reported. "We feel comfortable," spokesman Mike Schrimpf said. "We are going to keep our foot on the gas but not press the pedal all the way to the floor."

UPDATED: If one chart speaks volumes about the North Carolina governor's race, it's the one above detailing TV ad spending.

The data from media buyers shows Republicans have spent or reserved $12 million in TV time for commercials to boost Pat McCrory and take down Democrat Walter Dalton. By comparison, Democrats have spent and reserved $5.2 million in commercial time.

Democrats are vowing to buy more TV time, and Republicans could do the same, but the gap at this point in the campaign is telling.

Democrat Walter Dalton is pulling his new TV ad from the Charlotte market for the next two crucial weeks before the gubernatorial campaign's first debate, media buyers report. The move raises an intriguing question: Are Democrats afraid to attack Republican Pat McCrory on his home turf?

Consider this: Dalton aired his introductory commercial, a soft biographical piece, across the state, including Charlotte, starting earlier this month. But this week he switched his commercial to a new attack ad against his Republican rival, the former mayor of Charlotte, and released his reserved air time. 

A political group funded by the Democratic Governors Association also has avoided airing its attack ads against McCrory in Charlotte so far. 

Why not attack McCrory in Charlotte? Are Democrats conceding the state's most populous city and a geographically broad media market?

The chairman of the Democratic Governors Association said he expects the national group to do what it takes to help elect Walter Dalton in North Carolina.

"We are very dedicated to helping Walter Dalton," said Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley told The News & Observer in an interview Tuesday. "It's certainly a top tier race for us."

On the day he spoke, the DGA-backed N.C. Citizens for Progress bought about $900,000 in television advertising time, likely to hit Republican rival Pat McCrory.

As the Democrats blast Pat McCrory with another negative TV ad, Republicans are keeping their powder dry -- for now.

But indications are clear that the Republican Governors Association is planning a massive TV assault in North Carolina this fall aimed at defeating Democrat Walter Dalton. The RGA has reserved about $3.5 million in TV commercial time for the final week of September through the November election, according to media buyers.

The buy puts the RGA's total investment in the state -- so far -- to $4.5 million. It spent about $900,000 to air TV ads in May hitting Dalton soon after he won the Democratic primary for governor.

Pat McCrory is red-carpet political fundraising has attracted its fair share of GOP stars: Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Steve Forbes and Nikki Haley.

But his campaign's April 30 check-gathering at the Angus Barn will likely top those events thanks to headliner Jeb Bush. The hosts for the event -- announced Thursday by his campaign -- include former Denmark Ambassador Jim Cain, appointed by President George W. Bush; Golden Corral executive Ted Fowler; Republican uber-fundraiser Kieran Shanahan; and businesswoman Judi Grainger.

Bush, the former Florida Republican governor, is widely considered as a future presidential candidate and known for his dedication to education policy. And it's worth noting he's in town next month as part of an education summit with former Democratic N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt.

The event will help McCrory boost his financial advantage over the Democratic candidates who will spend the next six weeks squeezing blood from a turnip and spend much of it to get the party's nomination.